Privilege notice against Subramanian Swamy

Congress MP Shantaram Naik on Tuesday gave a notice for breach of privilege against BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in the Rajya Sabha.

He has claimed that the BJP leader allegedly submitted the “printout” of a website report to level allegations against Congress leaders, including Mrs Sonia Gandhi, during discussions on the AgustaWestland issue.

Mr Naik has sent the notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.

He claimed that “since Mr Swamy has authenticated a website page printout, in which the names of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Ahmed Patel, Mr Oscar Fernandes have been mentioned, it means and implies that the very allegations are made by the BJP leader also”.

The Congress MP has submitted the notice under Rules 187 and 188 of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. He has appealed the Rajya Sabha Chairman that the notice be admitted and referred to the privileges committee for “appropriate” action against the BJP leader, who recently became a Rajya Sabha member.

“Mr Swamy did not authenticate any letter from Christian Michel, who is an alleged British middleman and prime accused in the AgustaWestland chopper bribery case, as he was not in possession of any such letter. Further question of Mrs Sonia Gandhi flying in Mi-8 choppers does not arise as she did not hold any official post,” the Congress MP has argued.

He stated that Mr Swamy “mischievously quoted abbreviations AP and said he is a political secretary”. All these innuendoes amply insinuate a particular specific person most irresponsibly and without authenticating any document, he noted. Agusta copter lands after snag An AgustaWestland copter, that has landed Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in a controversy over its procurement by his government, is in the news, again for the wrong reasons. State agriculture minister Brij Mohan Agrawal on Tuesday had a close shave when the copter ferrying him developed technical snag in mid-air, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Raipur airport. “I was saved due to god’s grace,” a nervous looking Mr Agrawal told reporters at the airport here. According to Mr Agrawal, one of the two engines in the copter stopped functioning when the helicopter was airborne. The pilot managed to fly the copter to Raipur with the other engine. The helicopter was carrying Mr Agrawal from Raipur to Narayanpur in Bastar where he was scheduled to attend several government functions. Later, Mr Agrawal was ferried to Narayanpur by state plane.