KG basin issue Congress's ploy to divert chopper scam focus: BJP

AHMEDABAD: Ruling BJP today termed as a "diversionary tactic" the Congress' demand for a discussion in Rajya Sabha on a CAG report regarding "anomalies" in Gujarat's KG Basin gas project, saying Congress always raises "non issues" when names of their leaders get linked to scams.

"Ever since names of some Congress leaders have surfaced in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, they are making irresponsible statements out of fear. They are trying hard to divert people's attention from the main issue," state BJP unit spokesperson Bharat Pandya said in a statement.

Referring to the ruckus created by Congress in Upper House over the issue of alleged irregularities in the KG basin gas project, Pandya said Gujarat has been always on Congress' "hit-list".

He said the Italian court's order on AugustaWestland case "mentioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi's name four times while names of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and many other Congress leaders are also mentioned in the order".

"Whenever names of Congress leaders get linked to any scam, they try to target Gujarat by raising non-issue (like KG Basin) to divert people's attention.

"People who gave bribe have been sent to jail by the Italian court. Here, people who have received that bribe are shouting at us instead of feeling ashamed. It is their tactic to save themselves from answering scam-related questions raised by BJP president Amit Shah," added Pandya.

He said Congress should wait till Wednesday when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to submit the detailed chronology related to the VVIP chopper scam in Parliament.

However, Pandya's statement did not reply to the Congress' charge on the KG basin issue.