Centre forcing Agusta middleman to frame our leaders: Congress

The statement comes after some media reports claimed that investigators questioning the suspected middleman in the 'chopper kickbacks' case were trying to extract a false confession from him that he personally knew Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of creating a 'web of lies' and launching a 'concerted conspiracy' against its leadership in the AgustaWestland case by using its investigative agencies.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the statement of the lawyer of suspected middleman Christian Michel, who was detained in Dubai two days ago, shows that the Centre and its agencies are forcing him to make a false confessional statement against United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Surjewala statement comes after some media reports claimed that investigators questioning the suspected middleman in the 'chopper kickbacks' case were trying to extract a false confession from him that he personally knew Gandhi at the time the AgustaWestland chopper deal was finalised.

Michel, in detention now, is accused of handling and routing over 60 million euros for AgustaWestland kickbacks.

Surjewala said the Congress will raise the issue in Parliament on Friday.

"This is a concreted conspiracy. Never before in the history of India has a prime minister (Narendra Modi) been found complicit in gaining false evidence against opposition leaders to seek revenge," he said.

The statements by Michel's lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos and his sister Sasha Ozemen have clearly brought out that the Modi government and its agencies are forcing him to sign a false confessional statement naming Gandhi in return for complete exoneration from any charge in the case, Surjewala alleged.

The Congress leader accused the prime minister of creating a "web of lies" against its leadership.

Former Defence minister A K Antony also said it was the Congress that had initiated a CBI probe into the AgustaWestland case and the Gandhi family were not related to the case.

"In the AgustaWestland case, we took the decision to (initiate a) probe. It was our initiative, this case has nothing to do with the Gandhi family. This is a false propaganda by the BJP," he told reporters outside the Parliament.

Surjewala said, "This shocking expose is also a testimony to the disease prevailing in the CBI and the ED prostrating before the prime minister to collect fake and false evidence with a single-handed aim of tarnishing the reputation of opposition leaders and serving the political masters as a captive puppet and a willing tool of a malicious conspiracy."

"A mudslinging, muckraking and hatchet job is being enacted by the Modi government and its 'dirty tricks department' CBI and ED to smear opposition leaders is out in the open for the nation to see and adjudge," he alleged.

The Congress leader said even as Michel is detained in Dubai, Indian agencies have failed to produce any evidence in the courts in Dubai and are merely involved in hatching a conspiracy against leaders of opposition and using the suspected middleman as a tool for the purpose.