After the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Left and the NDA launched another pincer attack on the government on Monday when they alleged in parliament that "deliberate inaction" had led to Bofors payoff accused Ottavio Quattrocchi being released from Argentina.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition, sans the Trinamool Congress, walked out of the Lok Sabha on the issue.
And although the Left did not walk out, both Communist Party of India-Marxist MP Suresh Kurup and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta asked the government to come clean on the issue.
‘Shame on govt’
“It is shame on our government (that the Italian businessman walked to freedom),” Kurup said.
It shows that the UPA government had been hand in glove with the person who had cheated our country, Kurup added.
“Why did not the government appeal for extradition? What steps you have taken to get him arrested?” he asked.
Raising the issue in the zero hour, Bharatiya Janata Party deputy leader V K Malhotra alleged that the prime minister was “in the dock” for failure of the government to pursue the case against Quattrocchi in Argentina’s Supreme Court.
Biju Janata Dal's Bhratruhari Mahtab alleged that Argentine lawyers had been asked to withdraw India's appeal at the court in that country.
‘India lost the case’
“India has lost its case because we did not issue fresh warrants against him,” Mahtab said.
He asked whether the government was “serious enough” to pursue the case against Quattrocchi and if the Interpol red-corner notice was still valid.