Rahul Gandhi dodges questions on Christian Michel, says PM Modi should come clean on Rafale first

Christian Michel was today produced before a Delhi court which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. During questioning by CBI, he complained of anxiety after which he was given medicine.

Picture: Congress president Rahul Gandhi (Twitter account)

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dodged questions on Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal who was extradited to India from Dubai. He instead demanded a reply from PM Narendra Modi for allegedly giving Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani in Rafale deal. The Congress chief clearly prevaricated when journalists asked questions over the politically-sensitive Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal which was inked during the UPA rule. Gandhi is in Hyderabad to campaign for the party for the December 7 state elections. His party leaders have alleged that the central government has launched a "smear campaign" against opposition leaders because of which it is latching on to Christian Michel. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a statement, alleged that facing "imminent defeat" in state polls, Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government were seeking to "weave a web of lies" and construct a "mesh of deception to hoodwink" the people of India in the chopper case. Michel was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the UAE. Surjewala accused the Modi government of indulging in a "cover up conspiracy" to hide its role in helping and promoting the "banned company" AgustaWestland and its parent company, Finmeccanica, reported PTI. "While the BJP and PM Modi are seeking fake credit without being subjected to investigation by the CBI for their own complicity and connivance, they are latching on to Christian Michel for committing a smear campaign against opposition leaders. The truth qua Christian Michel is already out in the open," he claimed.

BJP has ‘3M’ Strategy in Agusta Case-‘Misguiding,Mudslinging & Misleading Nation’

PM Modi is ‘Protector & Benefactor of #AgustaWestland –is making loud noise to hide own misdeeds! BJP wants to ‘manufacture’ false evidence rather than discover the truth of their own ‘Corruption’ pic.twitter.com/gfAoip5zcW — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 5, 2018

Earlier during the day, PM Modi referred to the extradition of Michel saying, "The government has brought the middleman involved in a helicopter scam from Dubai. He served politicians and will now disclose secrets." Modi was addressing a rally in Pali. Michel was today produced before a Delhi court which allowed his five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI. During questioning by CBI, he complained of anxiety after which he was given medicine.