Quattrocchi case is an embarrassment: Prime Minister

The PM added that the Interpol asked India why do you want to keep him under the Red-Corner Notice? The law minister referred the issue to the AG who gave the advice that it should be lifted, he said.

Law Minister H R Bharadwaj told this newspaper last week that the case was an embarrassment to the government while blaming the CBI for the way it handled the case. The Prime Minister,too,was referring to the CBIs failed attempts to extradite Quattrocchi first from Malaysia and later from Argentina. It was after his victory in Argentina that Quattrocchi moved the Interpol to have the RCN in his name withdrawn. The plea was accepted by the CBI on the advice of Attorney General Milon Banerji even as the case against him remains active in an Indian court. The CBI recently told the court that further attempts to extradite Quattrocchi were on.

The BJP took strong exception to the Prime Ministers statement. Party general secretary Arun Jaitley said the statement marked a new moral low for the Prime Ministers office. The case was damaged by the CBI under this UPA government. The CBI colluded with Quattrocchi and allowed him to go scot-free despite voluminous evidence against him. The Prime Ministers defence is morally unacceptable and his statement shows that the PMs office has touched a new moral low, he said.  

The Prime Minister,in the interview,also said that his party was open to working with the Left,post-polls. We have worked with the Left beforefor four years they were our partners. I have enjoyed working with the Left8230; I have many friends. I think Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is a very good friend of mine.