Am happy to be targeted, says Rahul

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that he was happy to be targeted, after the BJP accused one of his aides of being linked to the AgustaWestland deal.

"I was always targeted. I am happy to be targeted," Gandhi told the media here.

He was responding accusations by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya that Kanishka Singh, an aide to Gandhi, was involved in the AgustaWestland and the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams.

Somaiya said Kanishka Singh had shares in Emaar MGF Land Ltd, a real estate company that also has as a director, Guido Ralph Haschke, who is an accused in the AgustaWestland case.

"Emaar MGF was formed by the family of Kanishka Singh, who is advisor/Principal Secretary to Rahul Gandhi," Somaiya said. He urged the government to check the links between the companies and Gandhi.

Kanishka Singh has dubbed the allegations as "baseless, false and given with an ulterior political motive".

A statement from the Congress accused Somaiya of making false allegations against Kanishka Singh with malafide intent since February 2013.

"Kanishka Singh ... has absolutely nothing to do with the matter. Singh wishes for parties, including AgustaWestland or Hashke or Emaar-MGF, to be punished in the harshest possible way if found guilty," it said.

Added Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala: "Instead of relying on media leaks, insinuations, innuendos and falsehood, the BJP government should conclude the inquiry (against AgustaWestland) and give the harshest punishment to those found guilty."

--IANS

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