New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Apr 5, 2004) accused Congress of stooping to a "low level" by alleging corruption in the purchase of AK-47 guns by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government and said the party has become "middlemen of the middlemen" to give the country "a bad name".

"The Congress is shamelessly becoming middlemen for arms dealers and making such charges. The entire deal has been done on the basis of recommendations by a Technical Committee headed by director general, BPR and D (Bureau of Police Research and Development), and having technical experts from Ministry of Defence and other concerned agencies," party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters.

He said two valid samples of AK-47 rifles offered by M/s Kintex, Bulgaria and M/s Romtehnica, Rumania were put to extensive field trials including firing of required 15,000 rounds.

In this critical test, the AK-47 weapon offered by M/s Kintex of Bulgaria passed, whereas the samples offered by M/s Romtetehnica did not pass the test. Accordingly, the Technical Committee recommended the tender of M/s Kintex of Bulgaria, which is also a State-owned company, Malhotra said.

He said the Technical Committee had rejected the technical offer of the Russian company M/s Rosoboronexport, as their rifles did not meet the specifications of the tender for AK-47 rifles.