Modi launches attack on Congress over helicopter deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, without naming anyone, saying that no one could have even thought four years back that the 'key secret player' (sabse bada raajdar) in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal would ever be in an Indian jail.

"No one ever thought that 'sabse bada raajdar' in the helicopter deal would be in an Indian jail. Our government did the work to bring him back to India and hand him to the law enforcers," Modi said while referring to the recent extradition of Christian Michel, the middleman of AugustaWestland helicopter deal.

Modi was speaking to a huge gathering near Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge in Assam, which he inaugurated on Tuesday.

"While we are ensuring the rights of the poor, we are also fighting against black money and those indulging in corruption," he said, adding that while the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had distributed 1.25 crore houses under Prime Minister Awas Yojaha (PMAY), the government has also seized properties worth over Rs 5,000 crore under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Prime Minister said while the government has sanctioned a loan of Rs 7 lakh crore under the Mudra loan without security deposits, the government had also taken stern steps to recover defaulters' loans to the tune of Rs 3 lakh crore sanctioned by banks during the previous governments.

--IANS

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