Modi targets Augusta westland convict against Congress in Dehradun rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress and corruption were "inseparable partners" and Christian Michel had hinted at the involvement of the grand old party's first "family" in the Agusta Westland chopper scam. Addressing a rally in Dehradun, Modi pointed out that Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the VVIP helicopter case, had disclosed two names to his interrogators.

"One was 'AP' and the other was 'FAM'. AP stands for Ahmed Patel and FAM stands for family. Have you heard of Ahmed Patel? Which family is he close to?" Modi asked the audience. When he heard the crowd's response, Modi said: "You understood automatically. The family cannot tolerate the stern attitude of the 'chowkidar' (watchman)."

The Enforcement Directorate had filed a supplementary charge sheet against Michel in a Delhi court on Thursday. According to the ED, Michel has identified the initials "AP" as Ahmed Patel, the senior Congress leader considered close to the Gandhi family. Michel, however, filed an application on Friday claiming that he had not named anybody in connection with the deal. "Congress and corruption are inseparable partners. Wherever the party comes to power, corruption goes on the accelerator while development goes on the ventilator," Modi said to loud cheers from the crowd at the parade ground.

"The name of the 'family' comes uppermost in this corruption. They did not spare even our forces when it came to corruption. No defence deal took place during Congress regimes without commissions being paid," he added. The "family" is out on bail in another corruption case and trying to save itself from going to jail, the prime minister alleged.

Modi also accused the Congress of hurting the morale of the armed forces by seeking a review of the AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress is committing a "sin" by promising to revoke the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and do away with the sedition law just for votes, the prime minister said.

He termed the Congress' manifesto a "dhakosla patra" (sham manifesto) and alleged that the grand old party had plans to trample and suppress the "honest' and "tax-paying" middle classes.

(With inputs from agencies.)