Pune:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded that the investigation into the Rs 4,000-crore deal to buy helicopters for VVIPs be held under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
"The probe will be completed in a time-bound manner and will show results only if it is monitored by the Supreme Court. Else there will be a cover-up," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Allegations of corruption have hit the purchase of 12 helicopters for VVIPs by the Indian government. The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing if Indian officials were bribed by representatives of helicopter company AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, to get the deal.
The ruling Congress says the helicopter tender was tweaked in 2003, when the BJP-led NDA coalition was in power and Brajesh Mishra was the National Security Advisor.
(Chopper deal: why Brajesh Mishra ordered changes in technical specs)But the BJP has countered the charge, saying Mr Mishra asked for changes based on the advice of the Special Protection Group or SPG, who are charged with the security of VVIPs, and the final deal was signed in 2010 by the Congress-led UPA government.
Sources said the government has suspended payments to Finmeccanica until the CBI probe is completed. India has already paid about 35 per cent of 560 million Euros. But Defence Minister AK Antony has said there is a stringent integrity clause in the deal that can be invoked if wrongdoing is proved and all the money can be got back.