Christian Michel is close to "first family" of Congress: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland deal, Christian Michel, is close to the the "first family' of the Congress party.

"Recently, a defence middleman was caught and brought back to India. But do you know who this middleman is close to? This middleman is close to the current 'First Family' of the Congress," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during an interaction with BJP workers from the Tamil Nadu.

Prime Minister Modi said people behind attacks on India's defence procurement are often middlemen from the Congress era and international forces who want to ensure that India's military doesn't get stronger.

"People of India deserve to know how middleman Michel knew about the timings of cabinet's meeting on security and about status of a government file. What role did he play in delaying procurement of Rafale for 10 long years? What role did he play in putting national security in danger?," said the Prime Minister.

According to some recent reports, Michel, in a 2009 letter, mentioned a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting while writing to the chief of Finmeccania- the parent company of AgustaWestland.

Christian Michel, a British national, was extradited to India from the UAE in December. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007 under the UPA government, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegation.

The ED told a Delhi court on January 05 that the role of Christian Michel has come out in other deals as well.

On Wednesday, addressing a rally in Solapur in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Modi targetted the Congress party and said, "Michel Christian, who has been brought to India from a foreign country, was not only involved in AgustaWestland chopper deal, but also in Rafale jet deal of the previous government."

"Investigating agencies will look into the role of all those who tried to save the middlemen," he added.