"My first reaction is shock... How can anybody say this, on what basis?" Tyagi told NDTV when asked whether he was involved in the VVIP chopper scam.
Asthana was sent on a forced leave after the CBI registered a case of corruption against him. His plea to quash the FIR was rejected by the Delhi high court.
Contrary to reports, the defence ministry has not opened any other deal for investigation besides the AgustaWestland chopper contract, defence sources said on Friday.
Police, which had made extensive preparations by putting up three layers of barricades, detained senior AAP leaders Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Dilip Pandey along with party volunteers, and took them to Parliament Street police station.
The government on Wednesday did not rule out appointment of some new governors before the Budget Session of Parliament beginning July 7, saying a concrete situation will emerge only after three to four days.
Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday opposed in a Delhi court the bail plea of businessman Gautam Khaitan, arrested in connection with the money laundering case related to Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, claiming that he was behind the "parking" of alleged kickbacks in the matter.
Targeting the previous United Progressive Alliance regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian court judgement.
The nexus between middlemen, arms agents and government officials has been broken, according to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said she is not afraid of anything as the party has nothing to hide in the case.
'A thief sees a thief in everyone,' he said in an apparent swipe at the prime minister.
"I answer all your questions, whatever you ask me. Why don't you question Prime Minister Modi on the Rafale deal, on Amit Shah's son. Why don't you question the prime minister who changed the entire Rafale deal to help a businessman?" he asked.
In his hard-hitting speech at a gathering of ex-servicemen, the prime minister referred to the Bofors scam, AgustaWestland chopper scam, Rafale issue and inordinate delays in procurement of critical military platforms and ammunition by previous government.
The Congress on Monday sought a thorough probe in the Rafale defence deal and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after a French media report claimed that 1.1 million (Rs 9.5 crore) was paid to a "middleman" by the aircraft manufacturer.
Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party government over the Mathura violence, he said it is the biggest failure of the state government which has also failed to control 'goonda raj' in the state.
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B V Wanchoo on Friday resigned as Governor of Goa as government went about finalising its plans for replacing the Governors appointed during the previous UPA regime.
The defence ministry has started fresh cost negotiations with the US firm Sikorsky for purchase of 16 multi-role naval helicopters, Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
Now, the Delhi high court will hear the matter on January 18.
"One was 'AP' and the other was 'Fam'. 'AP' stands for Ahmed Patel and 'Fam' stands for family. Have you heard of Ahmed Patel? Which family is he close to?" Modi asked the crowd at a rally in Dehradun.
Last week, Gandhi claimed that he had evidence of "personal corruption" of the prime minister but he was being prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha because it would cause an earthquake.
Officials said the agency seized a number of documents during the searches from the premises of the firms and entities brought under the action as they were 'connected'.
The BJP MP also said that MP said that he will seek breach of privilege proceedings against Ghulam Nabi Azad for "falsely" saying that the UPA had blacklisted Finmeccanica, the manufacturer of AgustaWestland choppers.
Taking a jibe at Gandhi over her remarks on Wednesday that she does not fear anybody, Shah said she is "right" and that is why such "scams" keep coming out in the open.
When the IAF veterans' bail petition came up for hearing, in an unprecedented move, senior serving and retired Air Marshals and Air Vice Marshals rallied behind the accused officers and appeared before the court to give sureties for each, something that has never happened ever before.
The court took note of Michel's submission alleging mental torture inside the jail and directed Tihar jail authorities to produce the CCTV footage and reports by Thursday based on which he was shifted to a high-security ward.
"Nobody else has authenticated it (Swamy's documents), neither the chairman, nor me," Kurien said, adding that the responsibility of the documents rested with the person authenticating them.
Modi said the smooth passage of the quota bill is a strong answer by the Parliament to those spreading lies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday sought "clarification" from Defence Minister A K Antony as to why the "Family" mentioned in middleman Guido Haschke's statement before an Italian court in the VVIP chopper deal case is being given "another meaning".
'As she was dragged off the yacht, the princess cried, "I won't go back to the UAE, just kill me now!"' 'She hasn't been heard of since then.' 'Perhaps she is dead.' 'If so, Modi's government has blood on its hands,' notes Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue.
One of the alleged middlemen in the VVIP chopper scam had asked a contact in India to target UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then NSA MK Narayanan to bag the deal, according to a document submitted in Italian court.
In an off-shoot of VVIP helicopter deal scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against a Brigadier attached to Army Aviation for allegedly fudging trial flight records of the copters.
The House "must know how an honourable member or rather less honourable member" was given access to sensitive and secret files, which he has refused to authenticate and place on the table of the House, Anand Sharma of the Congress said.
"I want to know from the Congress as to why it is agitated and telling lies repeatedly. Is it because there is no Quattrocchi mama or Christian Michel in defence deals done by the BJP government," Modi said.
Tyagi, arrested on December 9 in AgustaWestland chopper scam case, was granted bail by a special court in New Delhi.
United States manufacturer Sikorsky has bagged a Rs 6,000-crore contract for supplying 16 multi-role helicopters to the Indian Navy.
United States manufacturer Sikorsky has bagged a Rs 6,000-crore contract for supplying 16 multi-role helicopters to the Indian Navy.
Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business for the second day on Thursday after uproar by members over the Telangana issue, killing of a student from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi and plight of Tamil fishermen.
Going on the counteroffensive, the Congress will be giving privilege motions against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Rajya Sabha on Friday
Buoyed by the Uttarakhand assembly floor test result, Congress attacked PM Modi demanding his apology in Parliament and sacking of the minister who "advised" him to impose
The Lok Sabha session was on Wednesday brought to a sudden end, two days before the scheduled culmination of the session during which the budgetary exercise was the highlight.
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