BJP raps UPA on Ottavio Quattrocchi issue

New Delhi, June 25: The BJP today lambasted the Centre for its failure to extradit Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, main accused in the Bofors payoffs case, from Argentina and charged the UPA Government with 'shameful attempts' to help criminals.

BJP President Rajnath Singh said, ''The government crossed all limits of decency when despite his arrest in Argentina, it not only failed in its attempt to repatriate him to India but also allowed the CBI to be demeaned by the local court there.'' Mr Singh, who was addressing the party's two-day National Executive Meet here, said the Government knew well that CBI had a very limited role to play in such matters and ''the government is the final authority.'' He cited an article written by a former CBI director in which he had said senior legal officials of the government had given a clean chit to Quattrocchi even prior to his arrest on February 6 in Argentina.

UNI