Arvind Kejriwal dares BJP to arrest Sonia Gandhi, aides

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has dared Union Government led by Bhartiya Janata Party to arrest Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her aides whose name have poped up in the controversial Rs 3,600 core AgustaWestland chopper deal.

The Delhi CM also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the issue and wondered why CBI raids have not been conducted against Congress leaders in connection with the case.

“I dare BJP 2(to) arrest Sonia ji n those cong leaders named in Italy court order n interrogate them (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted in the evening and went on to questions BJP’s “intentions”.

“ BJP’ll never do it. BJP’S intentions are bad. For five years, BJP will engage in political rhetoric. There is a strong relationship between Congress and BJP,” he said in another tweeted.

This is the first instance of Kejriwal directly naming Sonia which he had refrained from since the row erupted in Parliament. He had been demanding the arrest of “all Congress persons” involved in the murky deal.

Earlier in the day, the AAP chief asked whether those named in Italian court order should not be immediately arrested and interrogated.

“Why is the PM silent on Agusta? First BJP spared Vadra, now protecting entire Congress top brass in Augusta?” the Delhi Chief Minister said on twitter, referring to Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.

He also tweeted, “Shudn’t those named in Italy court order be immediately arrested n interrogated? CBI raid had been conducted at me, but why there is no raid at Congress persons (sic).”

In December last year, CBI had raided the office of Kejriwal’s Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar in connection with an alleged corruption case. Kejriwal had then accused the PM of getting CBI raid conducted at Delhi Secretariat.

The controversial deal to buy VVIP choppers and the alleged bribes paid in clinching it have triggered a political storm after an Italian court “cited handwritten references” to Sonia, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and former Air Chief S P Tyagi by a middleman in a judgement that convicted the helicopter company’s chief executive.

With PTI Inputs