"This deal is mired in all kinds of controversies. The manner in which the deal was concluded two days after the bilateral with the UAE was signed and assigning them 37,000 additional seats clearly indicates that these two private parties - Jet Airways and Etihad - were fully aware of what the government was going to do," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told a news channel.
He alleged that the deal was "predicated" on the increase in number of seats to be made available.
"Given the kind of agreement which they have concluded, in which there will be members on the board much in excess of what 24 per cent entitles them to, is raising all kinds of concerns," Sinha said.
The former finance minister said he has no doubt that this deal is being rushed through and government agencies have not been allowed to examine the deal in all its ramifications.
"The government should order a CBI inquiry monitored by the Supreme Court to probe the manner in which this deal has been done," Sinha said. "This deal smack of a scam. It is already stinking. There should be an inquiry into who is responsible," he added.
He said this deal is "half-cooked" and "objectionable" and the Prime Minister's Office now seems to be getting wise and demanding that the deal be re-examined.
On the reported differences between Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and the PMO, Sinha sought to know who is playing the opportunistic game here.
"There is a tendency on the part of the Prime Minister that he distances himself the moment a crisis arises. He did this in Coalgate and 2G spectrum. This is completely unacceptable," Sinha said.