Sonia Gandhi was 'driving force' behind VVIP chopper deal: Italy court

New Delhi, April 26: BJP plans to target Sonia Gandhi and other Congress leaders on the issue of bribes in the AugustaWestland chopper deal during the UPA regime in a bid to corner the main opposition party which has been paralysing Rajya Sabha on the Uttarakhand affair.

The top brass of the BJP including its President Amit Shah and parliamentary leaders including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met here to chalk out a strategy following media reports that an Italian court, which has convicted AugustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, has reportedly described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders to bag the Rs.3,600 crore deal.

The issue also figured in the BJP Parliamentary Party where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present.

Congress would also be targeted on the controversial Aircel Maxis deal and the affidavits in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

According to media reports, the Italian court judgement states how the firm lobbied with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her close aides besides the then NSA M K Narayanan and the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Gandhi was described as the "driving force" by the judge behind the deal.

Subramanian Swamy, who took oath as the newly-nominated member of Rajya Sabha today and the bete noire of Congress' first family, will rake up the chopper deal issue in the Rajya Sabha for which notice has been given. Meenakshi Lekhi is expected to do the job in the Lok Sabha tomorrow.

A top BJP leader said it is significant that for the first time the bribe giver has been convicted but still people do not know who the bribe-taker is.

PTI