On the chopper deal, the Minister said, “Who would have thought that there will be malpractices of this kind involved in the process. But we cannot compromise on our laws.” He said the Defence Ministry and the AIF would find an alternative solution for ferrying the VVIPs.
The IAF and the Defence Ministry along with the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Secretariat and other security agencies are going to meet soon to consider the requirements for VVIP choppers and whether to go for new choppers or to upgrade the Mi-17V5s for utilising them for the purpose.
Asked what punishment would be given to former IAF Chief ACM SP Tyagi for his alleged role in the chopper scam, the Defence Minister said this was the job of the courts to do so if anyone is proven guilty.
He said two simultaneous inquiries are going on in the chopper scam in India and Italy.
