BJP raising AgustaWestland issue to divert attention from demonetisation, says Prithviraj Chavan

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the Narendra Modi government was raising the AgustaWestland issue to divert attention from demonetisation, which was an "unmitigated disaster". He also demanded that a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe should be done into the scrapping of currency notes. Here are his top quotes: 

• Raising AgustaWestland chopper scam case smacked of "political vendetta".
• "What was the government doing for the past two and a half years? Why now and not earlier? This is a political vendetta. This was done to divert attention from demonetisation. The manner in which names have been leaked and rumour mongering is going on. CBI should do its work. It does not need any permission," he said on Monday.
• On demonetisation, he said: "Every section of society, except the super-rich and those with black money, have suffered untold misery.
• "The government has not given a logical explanation as to why the Rs 2,000 note has been introduced. Rs 2,000 note is 15 per cent smaller than the old Rs 1,000 note. It's possible now to store Rs 2.2 crore in the same space as Rs 1 crore in old Rs 1,000 notes."
• Chavan said there was speculation that the government would discontinue Rs 2,000 note. "The government should make its stand clear in this regard," he said.
• "It is clear that this was done only to help BJP handle cash in the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and other states. We demand that the government clarify its stand on continuing with Rs 2,000 rupee note. Is it part two of the surgical strike on the economy?" he asked.
• "There are reports that counterfeit notes have been dispensed from an ATM of a reputed bank. The gross domestic product growth will be adversely affected by as high as two per cent, according to some estimates. The informal sector and the rural economy have been badly hit," the Congress leader said.

Chavan on Panama Papers case: He also said that while a probe has been initiated in Pakistan against its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case, the Centre is yet to take action against Indians whose names were revealed. Who in UPA govt received bribe in Chopper deal: BJP asks Rahul Gandhi: BJP, recently, while attacking Congress over the VVIP chopper scam asked its vice president Rahul Gandhi to disclose that which politician in the UPA government received bribe in the controversial deal. The ruling party's attack on the Congress came a day after the CBI arrested former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev, and a lawyer in the alleged Rs 450 crore bribery case in the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from UK-based AgustaWestland during the second term of UPA government. About AgustaWestland: In February 2010, India signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters  for the Communication Squadron of Indian Air Force to carry the president, PM and other VVIPs. On 12 February 2013, controversy over the contract came to light  with the arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company by Italian authorities. The following day Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered a probe into the deal. India, In January 2014, cancelled the US$630 million deal with AgustaWestland.  In February 2013, the contract was frozen  after allegations surfaced that US$60 million had been paid as a bribe.