Stung by the allegations of kickbacks in the purchase of 12 VVIP copters, the Congress on Wednesday tried to turn the table on the principal Opposition BJP by claiming that the process for the deal was actually initiated during the NDA regime in 2003, when George Fernandes was the defence minister. It also criticised the saffron party for politicising the issue and said, as the government initiated an inquiry into it without wasting any time, the ruling party will not allow the BJP to politically capitalise on it. AICC spokesperson P.C. Chacko, while lauding the government for “wasting no time” in recommending a CBI probe into the deal as soon as irregularities came to the fore, said it will be “cancelled” and the company will be “blacklisted” if any wrongdoing is proved. Dismissing the BJP’s refrain that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should clarify why there is corruption in every department of this government and that the deal has “makings of second Bofors scam”, Mr Chacko said, “There is adequate response from the government”. He said, “When allegations are coming, we have been very sensitive to them and responding. All of a sudden they say that Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi should clarify. They are politicising the issue. We want to pin down this kind of political propaganda and not allow them to capitalise on it.” Mr Chacko went on to add that the idea of purchasing these helicopters came up first when Mr Fernandes was the defence minister and “in 2003, the NDA government initiated it... some decisions were taken in 2003”, and after the completion of the processes the deal was struck in 2010.
