"Finance Minister is showing immense faith in "diary entries" to level bogus allegations," Congress said.
The Congress hit back out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today for his accusations in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case, saying the Finance Minister is showing immense faith in "diary entries" to level "bogus" charges, even as the BJP is "mute" on Sahara and Yeddy diaries.
Mr Jaitley had said the Congress must give an answer as to who were referred to as "RG", "AP" and "FAM" in documents cited by the Election Commission in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case. He added that Swiss police had also seized papers carrying similar initials in its raids in connection with the case in 2013.
Attacking Mr Jaitley, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: "Suddenly, FM shows immense faith in ''Diary entries'' to make Bogus Allegations! What's good for the goose is good for the gander!"
"Why are PM Modi and BJP silent on Sahara Diaries? Why is PM Modi & BJP mute on Yeddy Diaries? Duplicity & Doublespeak is ingrained in BJP''s DNA," he said.
The purported Sahara diaries, which listed alleged pay-offs to politicians, were recovered following raids conducted in November 2014. The ''Yeddy diaries'' refer to former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa's purported diary, which the Congress claimed had details of "bribes" paid to BJP leaders. The BJP had dismissed all such allegations.
The Congress had said yesterday that the Enforcement Directorate chargesheet filed in the Agusta case was a "cheap election stunt" to divert people's attention from the "imminent defeat" of the PM Modi's government in the polls.
Claiming that oral evidence corroborates what was found in the diaries, Mr Jaitley had said the probe agencies began investigation in 2013 when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
According to the Enforcement Directorate chargesheet, Christian Michel is understood to have identified the initials "AP" as Ahmed Patel, the senior Congress leader close to the Gandhi family. However, the alleged AgustaWestland middleman filed an application in a Delhi court on Friday, claiming he has not named anybody in connection with the deal.
Yesterday, Ahmed Patel hit out at the government over the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet, saying "baseless and laughable" allegations and "jumlas" are raining this election season.