BJP, Congress spar over Christian Michel revelations

The controversy arising from purported ED revelations on AugustaWestland VIP chopper middleman Christian Michel naming Gandhi family on Saturday resulted in a vicious war between the BJP and the Congress.

While the BJP used the purported expose to denounce the "Gandhi family" for "compromising" the national security, the Congress called it "brazen and shameless" abuse of agencies of the BJP government purposely done before 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"ED says Michel spoke about 'son of Italian lady'. Revelations by ED show that there is 'son of Italian lady', 'big man' & 'R' involved. It points towards a family. Congress government was a government of corruption that compromised national security,"said union minister Prakash Javadekar.

"First there were only two words which the country debated – Family and AP. But today it is more clear. Michel has said 'Son of an Italian lady', 'R' and 'party leader' and 'big man'. We had seen one 'R' who was tearing and throwing the Manmohan Singh government's decision into the dustbin," Javadekar added.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought Congress to come out clean a very serious allegation.

Hitting back, Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "I have never heard anything more absurd than what I have heard today and that too coming from ED as claimed before a court. The Modi government is guilty of a malicious and vicious propaganda."

Sharma alleged that during its tenure, the Modi government has wrecked the CBI and ED who now have no credibility left. "These are actions of a government in its dying days. Agencies should act according to the law.There is no prosecution taking place. There is no evidence being produced," he added.

Another Congress leader RPN Singh said that there is pressure on Michel to falsely implicate a particular family.

"Why is the chowkidar trying to pressurise the government agencies to name a family? BJP script writers are working over time,"said Singh.

Coming in aid of the Congress, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said Modi government is using it deliberately to take the heat from Rafale scam.