Ashok Gajapathi Raju said his aide Appa Rao, might stay in his put up “so long as I believe in him”.
NEW DELHI:
HIGHLIGHTS
Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju denies hyperlinks with arms supplier
Mr Raju backs aide Appa Rao who spoke to palms provider Sanjay Bhandari
Sanjay Bhandari is being probed for getting benami residence for Robert Vadra
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has denied any hyperlinks with palms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. He has also sponsored his aide Appa Rao, who had exchanged 355 smartphone calls with Mr Bhandariduring the last 12 months, in line with files accrued in raids ultimate month on the defence dealer.

Mr Bhandari is being investigated for allegedly shopping for a proxy-owned residence for Robert Vadra in London. The Congress – whose chief Sonia Gandhi is the mother-in-regulation of Mr Vadra — has accused the BJP of gambling down its personal links with Mr Bhandari, whilst pointing arms at the Gandhis.

“If all and sundry has a clandestine deal with me I need to recognise how they’ve it. My job is to looknot anything clandestine goes on,” said Mr Raju, who’s a member of the Telugu Desam birthday celebration, an ally of the BJP.

Mr Raju said his Officer on unique duty, Appa Rao, could stay in his post “so long as I have faith in him”.

Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju (left) with Sanjay Bhandari whose homes had been currently raidedby way of investigators. (record image)

Appa Rao has denied that he had spoken to Mr Bhandari loads of instances. He also advised NDTV, “Ihave no non-public courting with the man. If in any respect, there’s a professional dating.”

The minister’s aide has said that Mr Bhandari visited Mr Raju at his workplace on 3 or 4 events. The minister met him professionally as Mr Bhandari is in the business of purchasing aircraft components, Mr Raostated.

The Congress has also accused the BJP’s Sidharth Nath Singh of links with the hands supplier. Sidharth Nath Singh told NDTV that he has nothing to hide, pronouncing, “it is a social relationship and friendship, genuinely not a business relationship. because the Congress has requested for an researchinto this, I need to say that i’ve surely no problems with it. Please go beforehand and carry out anresearch.”

Robert Vadra’s attorneys have denied that he directly or indirectly owned the London property and featuresaid he has no association with Mr Bhandari.