The former chief of the Indian Air Force, S.P. Tyagi’s assertion that the Prime Minister’s Office was also kept in the loop in the AgustaWestland deal will only compound the problems of an embattled Indian National Congress which was in power when the deal was being negotiated. The alleged kickbacks, which could have international ramifications, show that there is more to the deal than meets the eye.
The scale of this purchase and the fact that it was for VVIPs mean that the deal could not have taken place without the approval of the government of that day. It is common knowledge that as far as corruption and bribery are concerned, politicians and the bureaucracy are inseparable.
H.P. Murali,
Bengaluru
The arrest of a former chief of the IAF has once again brought to the fore how corruption has made strong inroads into the defence establishment in India (Editorial – “Arrest of a military chief”, Dec.12). Even though the purchase was for transport purposes, one hopes that corruption does not have an adverse impact on the state of defence preparedness of a sovereign and independent nation such as India. No stone should be left unturned to eliminate the menace of corruption.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
As a retired air commodore, it was distressing to read about the arrest which is a blot on our defence forces. The helicopter was for the NSG and not the IAF. Therefore, why was the technical requirement on altitude reduced? Who did this, and why?
V.V. Nair,
Manipal, Karnataka
The arrest has severely dented the image of the Indian Air Force which otherwise has a glorious legacy of public and national service. The development also highlights the rot in the defence purchase ecosystem and calls for urgent corrective measures in order to halt the shameful practice of kickbacks in deals. The case must proceed setting a strong precedent which acts as a fitting deterrent.
Abraham Joseph,
Gurugram, Haryana
What comes as a surprise is that the arrest comes more than three and half years since the FIR was filed. One is not too sure whether his arrest, coming as it did immediately after the questionable appointment of the acting CBI Director, was merely a coincidence. One hopes ACM Tyagi is not being used as a pawn in a larger political game.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
