New Delhi: Reminding the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi that “silence is never an answer to documentary evidence of corruption,” Union minister Arun Jaitley on Friday wondered why names close to the Opposition party’s first family “start appearing” whenever evidence is collected in a controversial defence deal. Mr Jaitley’s remarks came after ED chargesheet in the AgustaWestland copter case which reportedly has reference to Congress leader Ahmed Patel and the ‘family.’

Hitting back, the Congress said that the chargesheet was a “cheap election stunt” to divert the people’s attention from the “imminent defeat” of the Modi dispensation.

BJP president Amit Shah said Mr Gandhi now sees the entire humankind as full of hate, except himself.  “Fine example of arrogance and delusion! Now he sees the entire humankind as full of hate, except himself of course. Get well soon Yuvraj!” he tweeted.

“Hatred is cowardice. I don’t care if the entire world is full of hatred. I am not a coward. I will not hide behind hate and anger. I love all living beings, including those temporarily blinded by hatred,” Mr Gandhi tweeted.

Questioning Mr Gandhi’s “silence” on the ED’s charge sheet in the AgustaWestland choppers case, Mr Jaitley said the Congress should answer as to who were referred to as ‘RG’, ‘AP’ and ‘FAM’ in documents cited by the ED.

“Right to silence is for accused not for the one who is dreaming to be the country’s Prime Minister,” the BJP leader said adding if no reply is given in case of such serious allegations, the country is “entitled to presume that no reply could have been given”.

Earlier, in a blog post on the issue, Mr Jaitley said Mr Gandhi “talks on several subjects with which he does not even have a nodding acquaintance” and makes “wild and unsubstantiated allegations against all and sundry.” However, the only subject he refused to speak about or respond is the one on which he alone knows the truth — his own accounts.

Contending that evidence is “over-whelming and needle of suspicion is clear,” Mr Jaitley said he is demanding political answers to the allegations.

“The more you suppress the truth, the more it spreads so it is necessary that reply be given by the Congress,” said the Union finance minister.

The initials were allegedly mentioned in the dispatches of Christian Michel, an alleged middlemen in the deal scam, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. According to the ED charge sheet, Michel is understood to have identified the initials “AP” as Ahmed Patel, the senior Congress leader close to Gandhi family.

However, Michel has filed an application in a Delhi court on Friday claiming he has not named anybody in connection with the deal.  The ED had told the court on Thursday that Michel and other accused received 42 million euros as kickbacks in the defence deal.

Reacting to the chargesheet,  Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said a “panic-stricken” Modi government is using “rehashed insinuations” through its “puppet” ED, which it dubbed as “Election Dhakosla” (sham) for “manufacturing lies”.

“A single uncertified page leaked by ED of a purported charge sheet is a cheap election stunt to divert attention from the imminent defeat of the Modi government. The ED has become ‘Election Dhakosla’ of a government manufacturing a lie a day...All these rehashed insinuations and lies were bundled out earlier too through a set of pliable media. Ultimately, they failed in an international court and were rejected as trash. A panic-stricken Modi government and its puppet ED will not be able to change the ‘exit date and fate’ of a government and PM already rejected by the people,” Mr Surjewala asserted.