Tables turn on BJP in AgustaWestland scam: What went wrong in RS | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Tables turn on BJP in AgustaWestland scam: What went wrong in RS

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
May 05, 2016 01:20 PM IST

At a time when the Congress has been cornered over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the ruling BJP suddenly found itself in choppy waters following concerted counter-offensive strikes by Congress veterans.

If you are not a political junkie but watched Rajya Sabha proceedings on Wednesday to try and figure out the bribe-takers in the VVIP chopper deal, you may not be faulted for thinking that the Narendra Modi government was on the mat over the scam. Ruling party speakers were at their wit’s end in the face of a concerted counter-offensive by Congress veterans such as AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Wednesday’s session in the Rajya Sabha proved to detrimental to the ruling BJP’s campaign against the opposition Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper scam. Veteran Congress leaders like AK Antony firmly placed the origins of the scam in the previous NDA government’s tenure.(PTI)
Wednesday’s session in the Rajya Sabha proved to detrimental to the ruling BJP’s campaign against the opposition Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper scam. Veteran Congress leaders like AK Antony firmly placed the origins of the scam in the previous NDA government’s tenure.(PTI)

Consider this: BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav and his party colleague Subramanian Swamy attacked the Congress holding the UPA government responsible for changing specifications of flying altitude and cabin height of the helicopters. A sarcastic Swamy said it was probably done for the Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the six-footer Kashmiri leader. The ruling party even argued that these changes made the erstwhile UPA leaders liable to prosecution.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Read | AgustaWestland deal: Top 5 points made by govt and Congress

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi – a prominent lawyer who lost lakhs of rupees by arguing free of cost for the party, as defence minister Manohar Parrikar jocularly quipped – countered Yadav saying that it was prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s principal secretary Brajesh Mishra who had taken the lead to change the specifications.

Swamy remained silent when AK Antony asserted that the cabin height of 1.8 metres was approved by Vajpayee’s principal secretary. The former defence minister, fondly called Saint Antony by his friends and rivals for his integrity, put up a valiant defence of the previous UPA government.

Silence in the Treasury benches said it all. The Congress managed to take the sting out of the BJP’s attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met senior ministers later in the evening to take stock of what happened in the Rajya Sabha and he might not be very pleased.

Read | People need to know who instigated, benefitted from Agusta: Parrikar

So, what went wrong? How did the Congress turn the tables on the ruling party on an issue that kept it on the back foot all these months?

The BJP was far from convincing in their arguments that Saint Antony allowed kickbacks under his nose. When he was Kerala chief minister, his wife would travel by public transport. Old Congressmen from Kerala remember how Antony would rile many of his colleagues by coming to the party office at 10 am everyday. There are apocryphal tales about how they managed to send his old Ambassador, given by the party, for weeks to the repair garage. Much to their chagrin, he took the bus instead and continued his daily visit to the party headquarters.

As India’s defence minister, he sat on acquisition proposals, drawing flak for compromising on the country’s defence preparedness but didn’t expose himself to questions about any deal. Swamy and the BJP sought to absolve him – and former prime minister Manmohan Singh who is equally revered for his integrity – by insinuating that his hands might have been forced by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. These insinuations and innuendoes – which Singhvi said were meant to vilify Congress leaders – obviously didn’t carry conviction.

Read | Invisible hand prevented probe in chopper deal: Manohar Parrikar

The debate on the chopper scam was taking place at a time when the ruling party faced many uncomfortable questions in parliament, be it the imposition of President’s rule in Uttarakhand, considerable dip in employment generation, and last but not the least, the alleged foreign policy flip-flops. That might be one of the reasons for the isolation of the BJP on this issue as regional parties chose to back the Congress or maintain an equidistance during the debate.

The BJP’s below par performance in the Rajya Sabha also underscored the absence of a talent pool in the ruling party. Parrikar read from a written document and gave extensive technical details as he reiterated the party’s charge in the chopper deal. But the IIT alumnus only drew yawns from those who were already weary after a four-and-a-half hours long debate. The Treasury benches sorely missed Arun Jaitley, the Leader of the House, who was on an official trip to Frankfurt. BJP strategists had better check the finance minister’s schedule before deciding on dates for tricky debates that require more of substance than often-misplaced exuberance and, what the opposition parties call ‘hubris’.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on Election 2024, India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    DK Singh was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. He no longer works with the Hindustan Times.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On