Lok Sabha debate on Rafale gives an indication of how the Congress and the BJP will raise the pitch on corruption in 2019 general elections.
New Delhi: The Rafale defence deal has been brought up for debate in the Lok Sabha Wednesday after the Congress agreed to discuss the issue. This is after repeated allegations by the Congress that the deal smacks of corruption in high places.
Rahul Gandhi threw the first few punches, more probing in nature, yet sharp. He would have certainly known that a tape won’t be allowed to be played in Parliament, but he has succeeded in bringing focus to one that purportedly has former defence minister Manohar Parrikar saying he has all the files on Rafale.
Also read: JPC for Rafale? Panel probes in past have done little to fix accountability
Three more early indications:
One, this debate will test Sumitra Mahajan for her skill as well as impartiality — or the lack of it — as the Speaker.
Two, we see a spirited Congress and opposition as we would have expected after 11 December.
And, three, that AIADMK now makes no secret of being entirely at the BJP’s beck and call.
Also read: What’s the deal with Rafale? No one knows how to pronounce it in India
Follow live updates here:
5:03pm: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourns the House for the day. House to reconvene on Thursday at 11am.
5:00pm: House proceedings resume.
4:46pm: Speaker adjourns House till 5pm.
4:42pm: NCP also attacks government over why an “inexperienced firm” was given the Rafale contract over more experienced companies.
4:39pm: Referring to the Anil Ambani’s Reliance company, Salim says, “Jo Delhi metro nahi chala sakte, wo aircraft kya chalaaenge (How can a company that can’t run the Delhi metro be trusted with defence aircraft)?”
4:38pm: Government is not working for self-reliance. It is working for self and reliance, accuses CPM Lok Sabha member Mohammad Salim.
4:37pm: Mohammad Salim of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) alleges that the price of each aircraft increased by 47.7%.
4:33pm: The TDP MP says it is unfortunate that the Prime Minister is not responding directly on this issue, and charges that Narendra Modi has no respect for the Parliament.
4:31pm: Why did the government want to enter into a new deal and what was the issue with the old deal? And why were only 36 planes purchased when the original deal was for 120 aircraft, questions Galla.
4:30pm: What were the terms under the UPA and what are the current terms, asks Galla.
4:25pm: Telugu Desam Party MP Jayadev Galla begins speaking and raises questions on the particulars of the deal.
4:24pm: Sawant says the Supreme Court never said a JPC isn’t necessary, and yields the floor.
4:23pm: The Shiv Sena attacks the government and demands an investigation into the deal saying the contract was given to a company with no experience.
4:15pm: Shiv Sena MP Arvind Ganapat Sarvnd begins addressing the House.
4:12pm: Has the correct procedure been used? When a current tender has been going on, why was it scrapped? Why wasn’t technology transfer not given, questions Deo.
4:10pm: Qatar bought the same planes for a cheaper price. So we must raise questions over a deal that smells, says Deo.
4:07pm: Kalikesh Singh Deo, Biju Janata Dal MP, takes the floor.
4:06pm: The German has promised to need Indian needs on an urgent basis. So why was the deal ignored, questions Roy as he cedes the floor.
4:03pm: The big question is why was the cheaper deal rejected, says Roy
4:00pm: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan attempts to bring order to the House as ruckus erupts again.
3:55pm: Rafale is a modern aircraft. But if it was such an immediate requirement, why was it announced only in 2015, questions Roy. He also questioned why the defence minister wasn’t present when the deal was announced by the PM.
3:53pm: Jaitley is the cloud that PM Modi hides behind. He should have the courage to face this charges, says TMC’s Roy.
3:50pm: Saugata Roy, Trinamool Congress MP begins addressing the House. Says it’s sad that a Rajya Sabha member was borrowed to defend the government’s case.
3:49pm: The entire burden of their song has been to create corruption because we have been a clean government. There is no need for JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), says Jaitley as he ends his speech.
3:45pm: “Inka gyaan toh A, B, C se shuru karna hoga (need to start his lessons from A, B, C),” says Jaitley as he mocks Rahul Gandhi for not understanding the nuances of the deal.
3:41pm: The prices for the weaponised jet and the bare craft is different. Confidentiality over the weaponised aircraft is maintained so enemies can’t guess what your defence capabilities are, Jaitley further explains.
3:37pm: The Rafale deal had an escalation clause that would increase the cost every year, Jaitley explains of the old deal.
3:35pm: The Supreme Court said it was satisfied with the deal proceedings, reiterates the Union minister.
3:33pm: The deal was better than terms drawn up by the UPA. It was cheaper by 9%, says Jaitley.
3:31pm: Our Air Force needed combat aircraft immediately. The Air Force has been asking since 2001. In 2012, UPA government sanctioned the procurement. Yet nothing happened. When our government came to power in 2014, the Air Force asked again.
3:30pm: Lok Sabha resumes with Arun Jaitley addressing the House.
3:00pm: Speaker adjourns the session for 30 minutes.
2:59pm: Sumitra Mahajan pulls up opposition for disrupting the proceedings by throwing paper planes. Says they had asked for a debate and now have to “bear it”.
2:58pm: Arun Jaitley invokes Ian Fleming’s James Bond in the Rafale debate.
Sharp of him, just that the line he quoted — from the film/book Goldfinger — wasn’t spoken by James Bond. It was spoken by Auric Goldfinger.
Exact line: “Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action’.”
2:56pm: Arun Jaitley takes the B word…Bofors. We had to use the Bofors 155 mm gun during Kargil, but if we had the Multi-role combat aircraft like Rafale, it would have targetted the enemy much better, he says.
2:54pm: Conspirators of various defence deals are raising a finger at us, says Jaitley.
2:51pm: If it was one case, I would have given them the benefit of doubt. But if in Bofors, National Herald and Agusta cases, the finger points to you (Congress), then three is a bit too much, says Jaitley.
2:49pm: Jaitley hits back at the Congress by raising the Bofors scandal, National Herald case and AgustaWestland case.
2:47pm: Chants of “Gandhi family chor hai, maa-beta chor hai,” are shouted in the background.
2:46pm: On the last occasion, Gandhi manufactured a conversation between him and the French president who denied it, says Jaitley
2:45pm: If they’ve presented a lie, they must also listen to the truth, says Jaitley.
2:44pm: Jaitley says Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi are repeating false accusations which have been thrown out by the Supreme Court
2:43pm: It’s a tragedy for the country that the grand old party — Congress — is now headed by a gentleman who does not even understand what a combat aircraft is
2:43pm: Some people have an utter dislike of the truth, says Jaitley
2:42pm: We thought that the Congress would have something new to add when they asked for second debate on Rafale deal
2:41pm: Finance minister Arun Jaitley begins speaking. Says he is disappointed by what the Congress has said.
2:40pm: Rahul Gandhi ends his speech.
2:39pm: Rahul Gandhi says the entire country has raised a finger against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2:37pm: Congress president Rahul Gandhi demands a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) into the Rafale deal.
2:34pm: Supreme Court has only said that inquiry into Rafale deal is not within its jurisdiction, says Gandhi
2:33pm: “Double AA has been given a contract,” says Rahul Gandhi after Speaker Mahajan objects to naming individuals.
2:31pm: House resumes. Rahul Gandhi says he will not play the audio clip; takes a dig at the government saying they are clearly scared of the facts in the audio clip.
2:25pm: House adjourned till 2:30pm.
2:22pm: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallows playing the audio clip; says it cannot be admitted on the House record.
2:19pm: Rahul Gandhi asks permission to play the audio file. Evokes an angry response from finance minister Arun Jaitley.
2:18pm: Ruckus breaks out in Lok Sabha after Rahul Gandhi brings up audio file which is purportedly of Goa CM Manohar Parrikar claiming he has Rafale deal files.
2:16pm: The defence minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) was contradicted by the French president Macron (over the pricing of the deal), says Gandhi.
2:14pm: Is is not a fact that the new price the PM negotiated was objected to by defence ministry official? asks Gandhi
2:12pm: In his next question to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi asks why did the price go from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore?
2:10pm: Did the Air Force want it or you changed it (deal) unilaterally, Gandhi seeks to know from the Prime Minister.
2:09pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview that no one raised questions to him about Rafale but it’s not true, says Rahul Gandhi.
2:07pm: Rahul Gandhi says as the opposition leader it is his job to raise questions.
2:05pm: Congress president Rahul Gandhi begins addressing the Lok Sabha.