The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress and “10 Janpath” of defending extradited Christian Michel, claiming all the lawyers representing the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal scandal were directly linked to the Congress.
The party went all out to link Michel with the Gandhi family, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an election rally in Rajasthan the extradited arms agent would spill the beans.
“The Congress is rattled after the extradition of Christian Michel. The family within the Congress is spending sleepless nights. Family-appointed pointmen are being sent to defend Michel,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Patra claimed that apart from Aljo Joseph, the other two lawyers of Michel were also linked directly to the Congress. Joseph, the national in-charge of the legal department of the party’s youth wing, was expelled from the Congress on Wednesday for failing to consult senior leaders before taking the case.
Patra claimed that another of Michel’s lawyers. Vishnu Shankar, was the son of a Kerala Congress leader and the third, Sriram Parakkat, had been an NSUI member. “All three have worked under big Congress lawyers like Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal,” Patra claimed.
“Isn’t this too much of a coincidence? Michel, a fugitive, lands in India and lawyers associated with the Congress rush to defend him,” Patra said. “Isn’t this the extended hand of 10 Janpath to protect Michel?” he said.
The BJP spokesperson described Joseph’s expulsion as an eyewash.
Patra also took potshots at Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origins, describing the British arms agent as Michel “Mama” (maternal uncle).
The party is hoping to cash in on the extradition in the Rajasthan polls on Friday.