Copter deal was theft, says Narendra Modi

In his first public comments since the AgustaWestland issue broke out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dubbed the controversial deal a chori (theft) and said that the guilty, howsoever big, would not be spared.

At an election rally in Hosur in western Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the people if the scamsters in the multi-crore Agusta Westland helicopter deal should go unpunished.

“Should those involved in the chopper deal be punished or not?" he asked the crowd gathered at the Anthivadi stadium. Those who knew Hindi in the crowd responded with a wave of applause.

Then, the Prime Minister took a dig at the Italian connections of the Congress leader. “I have not been to Italy and I have no relatives in Italy. What will I do if the people known to them say they are corrupt,” Modi said, amid a round of claps from the crowd.

“Those involved in helicopter chori, should they be punished or not? Should legal action be taken against them or not. However big they are, should action be taken against them or not? I want to know from the people of Tamil Nadu,” said Modi at an election rally.

He said people of Tamil Nadu should now be knowing why people in New Delhi “don't allow” Modi to work. “It is because he (Modi) has tightened the screws. This has affected the corrupt. It has disturbed their sleep. So they are attacking me,” the Prime Minister said.

Earlier in the day, in the national capital, a combative Sonia Gandhi accused the Modi government of “murdering” democracy and unleashing a campaign of “baseless allegations” against the Opposition. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi were taken into custody along with Sonia Gandhi, who predicted that the Government’s days were numbered the way it was functioning.

“Do not try to frighten or defame us... life has taught me to struggle, we have faced a lot of challenges. They don't know what we are made of,” she said addressing the ‘Save Democracy’ rally.