Govt has done nothing wrong over Quattrocchi issue: PM

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) Firmly rejecting the opposition charge that the government had dithered on the Quattrocchi issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the rule of law would be allowed to prevail in the Bofors payoff case and there was no interference in the functioning of the CBI.

Squarely blaming the opposition for creating an unnecessary 'hullah gullah' (pandemonium) in Parliament to stall its proceedings, Dr Singh told reporters that the government was ready to discuss and debate any issue, including Quattrocchi and price rise, on the floor of the House.

He said the CBI and the government had taken prompt action for securing the extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, accused in the Bofors bribery case, from Argentina where he has been detained on the basis of an Interpol alert issued following a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a Sessions Court, Delhi.

The Prime Minister was talking to reporters around noon after both Houses of Parliament had been adjourned for the second consecutive day, virtually without transacting any business, as the opposition had created a ruckus on the Quattrocchi issue.

The CBI enjoyed full autonomy in its functioning and there was no intereference from the government whatsoever, he said.

Amid the din in Parliament, Minister of State for Personnel and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri had made a statement, assuring the two Houses that a CBI team would be in Argentina before the 30-day deadline for formally seeking the extradition of Quattrocchi.

UNI