Rahul's name has come up in AgustaWestland case: Smriti Irani

Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani has pointed out that Rahul Gandhi's name has come up in the AgustaWestland case as well as his relations with some others involved in the scams related to 2G spectrum. Meanwhile, the Congress has termed the Enforcement Directorate's supplementary charge sheet a "cheap election stunt" to divert the people's attention

Amethi (UP): Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Friday sought to corner Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers case, latching onto an Enforcement Directorate charge sheet which has reference to senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and 'family'.

"Rahul Gandhi's name has come up in the AgustaWestland case. Besides, his relations with some others involved in the scams related to 2G spectrum are also in the open," the Union minister told media on the last day of her two-day visit here.

The Congress has termed the Enforcement Directorate's supplementary charge sheet a "cheap election stunt" to divert the people's attention from the "imminent defeat" of the Narendra Modi dispensation in the Lok Sabha election.

Irani is pitted against Gandhi in the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. The Congress leader is also contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala.

Addressing a meeting of BJP's backward caste cell at Malik Mohammad Jaisi research centre in Jais, the Union minister flayed the Congress for joining hands with those who were behind the partition of the country and said it amounted to humiliation of the people of India and its farmers.

She was apparently referring to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a long-time member of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.

She alleged that Congress leaders raise questions on the Army in their bid to get power.

"This is such an unfortunate thing that when son of a poor person became prime minister those with big names could not digest it...I appeal to you all to once again ensure that the poor man's son become prime minister so that the country can march ahead on the path of development," she said.

Irani said that the coming elections are about the future of the constituency and also for bidding "goodbye to the missing MP" of Amethi.

Earlier, she met party workers in different assembly segments of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, including Tiloi and Jagdishpur and discussed issues related to the polls.

The Union minister started herdoor-to doorcontact programme from Tiloi and was accompanied by BJP's district president Durgesh Tripathi.

On the first day of her visit on Thursday, Irani had attacked the Congress chief, saying his decision to contest from Wayanad was an "insult" to Amethi.

This is Irani's second attempt to wrest Amethi from the Congress. In 2014, she lost to Rahul Gandhi by a margin of over one lakh votes.

The ED, in its supplementary charge sheet filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) said, "A part of kickback was paid to defence officials, bureaucrats, mediapersons and important political persons of the ruling party" when the deal was being struck.