Govt pressuring Michel to name particular family in VVIP chopper scam: Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP-led government of using its agencies to put pressure on alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, to name a particular family as elections were near and it had no real issues.  

The reaction of the opposition party came after a Delhi court, hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, on Saturday imposed restrictions on Michel meeting his lawyers in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody after the agency said he was misusing legal access by passing chits to lawyers, asking them how to tackle questions on “Mrs Gandhi”.

Michel was produced before a special court which extended his ED custody by seven days.

Asked about the development, Congress spokesperson R P N Singh said: “We have seen what the BJP has been doing in this matter. In fact, one of the television channels showed how there is pressure on Christian to name a particular family.”
 
On the ED’s claim that Michel had spoken about the “son of an Italian lady” and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country, Singh said, “The BJP scriptwriters are working overtime.”

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter jets deal, Singh said action should be taken against him as there was “complete proof”. He alleged that the Modi dispensation was “trying to pressure government agencies to name a person”.
 
“But the person who has done the biggest ‘chori’ (theft) cannot be spared,” the Congress leader said, in an apparent reference to the opposition party’s allegation against the prime minister of corruption in the Rafale deal.

“We know that elections have come and they (BJP) do not have any issues, so through the ED, they are trying to put pressure on people,” he said.