Kejriwal dares BJP to arrest Sonia

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Apr 28 2016 | 10:22 PM IST
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today dared BJP to arrest Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders of the party in connection with the controversial Rs 3,600 core AgustaWestland chopper deal.
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue and wondered why CBI raids have not been conducted against Congress leaders in connection with the case.
"I dare BJP 2 arrest Sonia ji n those cong leaders named in Italy court order n interrogate them (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted in the evening and went on to questions BJP's "intentions".
" BJP'll never do it. BJP'S intentions are bad. For five years, BJP will engage in political rhetoric. There is a strong relationship between Congress and BJP," he said in another tweeted.
This is the first instance of Kejriwal directly naming Sonia which he had refrained from since the row erupted in Parliament. He had been demanding the arrest of "all Congress persons" involved in the murky deal.
Earlier in the day, the AAP chief asked whether those named in Italian court order should not be immediately arrested and interrogated.
"Why is the PM silent on Agusta? First BJP spared Vadra, now protecting entire Congress top brass in Augusta?" the Delhi Chief Minister said on twitter, referring to Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.
He also tweeted, "Shudn't those named in Italy court order be immediately arrested n interrogated? CBI raid had been conducted at me, but why there is no raid at Congress persons (sic)."
In December last year, CBI had raided the office of Kejriwal's Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar in connection with an alleged corruption case. Kejriwal had then accused the PM of getting CBI raid conducted at Delhi Secretariat.
The controversial deal to buy VVIP choppers and the alleged bribes paid in clinching it have triggered a political storm after an Italian court "cited handwritten references" to Sonia, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and former Air Chief S P Tyagi by a middleman in a judgement that convicted the helicopter company's chief executive.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 28 2016 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story