BJP terms PM's stand on Quattrocchi as absurd

BJP on Sunday termed the stand taken by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi issue as "absurd".

BJP on Sunday termed the stand taken by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi issue as "absurd". "BJP deplores the absurd logic of the PM that India would have been looked down by the world community if the red corner notice against Quattrocchi was not removed," party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

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PM had said the Quattrocchi case has been an "embarrassment" for the Indian government as it has failed to get him extradited from Malaysia and Argentina where courts have said "we don't have a strong case" against him.

Attacking PM for justifying the withdrawal of Quattrocchi's name from the red corner list, Javadekar said "This is a futile attempt to defend the indefensible act of the CBI. This also proves that withdrawal of red corner notice against Quattrocchi is not a CBI decision but a political decision of the UPA government."

Comparing it with the Afzal case, Javadekar said PM should explain why then world community will not look down when it does not carry out the hanging of Parliament attacker Mohd Afzal Guru, who is condemned by the Supreme Court?"

Coining a new slogan "Congress ka hath Quattorcchi aur Afzal ke saath", the spokesperson said, "UPA wants to save Afzal for vote bank politics and Quattrocchi for his connection with the first family of Congress."