Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being the "protector, benefactor and promoter" of AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into Modi's role in "exonerating" the Italian defence and aerospace major which was blacklisted by the UPA.

A day after British national Christian Michel James, a middleman wanted in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, was extradited to India, the Congress attacked Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "using him to launch a smear campaign" against opposition leaders.