Bhartiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani and Jaswant Singh, former external affairs minister, claimed that the government of India was trying to mislead the Indian public by saying that there was no extradition treaty between India and Argentina, which has detained Ottavio Quattrocchi on Feburary 6 on the basis of an Interpol red corner notice.

"The government avers that there is no extradition treaty with Argentina. Not correct. There is an extradition treaty," Jaswant Singh told newsmen. He explained that two treaties between the British government which ruled India before August 15, 1947 have survived -- one with Albania and the other with Argentina.

Advani in a written release issued to the media persons wanted to know why did the government has kept this information of Quatrocchi's arrest under wraps for over a fortnight. "Why? To Protect whom and for what purpose?" he asked.

Advani charged the United Progressive Alliance government for secretly bailing out Quattrocchi when he was in London by telling the Crown court that there was no case against him in India. This allowed Quattrocchi to transfer closely $3 million from his frozen account to his wife's account.

Jaswant Singh said that it was wrong to say CBI needed time to file translations of the documents before the Argentine court in Spanish. "It (the government) is attempting to hide the truth from the country and its citizens. Such conduct is deceitful, dishonest and gravely damaging our nation interest. Yet the Congress is placing its own and its party president's interests above that of truth, probity and accountability in public life."