In order to gain the high moral ground in the wake of bribery allegations against Indian middlemen in the VVIP helicopter deal, defence minister A.K. Antony may soon consider the option of offering to resign from his office. Mr Antony is learnt to be “sad and dejected” following the controversy. The minister, known for his exemplary honesty, is very sensitive about any allegation of corruption involving his ministry. While the allegations do not concern him directly in any way, he is understood to be extremely upset at the turn of events since the VVIP helicopter deal was signed in 2010 during his tenure as defence minister.
Sources said Mr Antony was shocked that the allegations of corruption should point to alleged middlemen related to former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi (Retd). Observers feel that despite his best efforts, Mr Antony has been unable to eliminate the scourge of middlemen and alleged kickbacks in a defence his ministry has inked. “It indicates failure at some level,” a defence analyst pointed out.
But if the minister offers to resign before or during the coming Budget Session of Parliament, there are likely to be many who will urge him not to act in haste. Even Opposition parties that have criticised the defence ministry for failing to act in time on corruption allegations have never questioned Mr Antony’s own integrity.
A source said it “will be a sad day if an honest minister like him ever decides to resign”. But precedents suggest that Mr Antony could consider this course of action. In the mid-1990s P.V. Narasimha Rao government, Mr Antony — then minister for civil supplies, consumer affairs and public distribution — had resigned on moral grounds after allegations of corruption against other persons in an alleged sugar import scandal, despite the fact that there were no allegations against him. Mr Antony also earlier resigned as Kerala chief minister following factionalism there.
A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, that is likely to take place in the next few days, is expected to discuss the helicopter deal. This comes after the defence ministry started the process to cancel the deal by issuing a showcause notice to AgustaWestland on why it should not be cancelled. It remains to be seen if the PMO and Mr Antony’s other colleagues in the CCS support the move to cancel the deal. MoD bureaucrats may also advise Mr Antony not to cancel the deal without solid proof on kickbacks. The MoD is therefore keenly watching the outcome of the Italian investigation and developments in the Italian courts.