Ready to discuss chopper deal in House: PM

Under attack from the Opposition over the controversial VVIP chopper deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said he was ready to discuss the issue in Parliament during the Budget session, beginning on Thursday. “We can always sit down. There is scope for discussion. Parliament is a forum for discussion. We are ready to discuss all issues,” Singh said when asked about the Opposition threat to stall Parliament on VVIP chopper “scam”.  

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the government of a “cover up” in the alleged scam in the purchase of 12 choppers from AgustaWestland at a cost of Rs 3,546 crore. It has also claimed that the government had kept Parliament in the dark over the internal probe being carried out by the Defence Ministry on the issue. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said a Central Bureau of Investigation team from here had gone to Milan in Italy to get material and details about the case.