Congress president Rahul Gandhi says PM Narendra Modi helped Anil Ambani, insists on JPC probe into Rafale deal.
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a one-on-one debate on the Rafale issue and asked three questions on the deal.
“I would very much like to debate the Prime Minister on Rafale, jets and any diplomatic issue one-on-one. Make me sit with him for 20 minutes. He doesn’t have the guts to do that,” Gandhi said, while addressing a press conference after participating in the Parliament discussion on Rafale earlier in the day.
He accused the Prime Minister of running away from a debate.
“Modiji can run away from the debate but the fact he gave Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani cannot be hidden,” Gandhi said.
The Congress chief asked why the cost of the deal was inflated from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore. “Why was the cost inflated? Did the Air Force object to it? Defence minister (Manohar Parrikar at the time) said publicly he has no idea about new deal. And in cabinet meet, he says he has all files,” Gandhi said.
Ambani benefitted from move: Rahul
Gandhi charged the Prime Minister with helping industrialist Anil Ambani with the deal. “PM Modi helped Anil Ambani and Reliance with Rafale deal. The company was in debt,” he said.
He once again sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in the matter and said if that happens two names will emerge — that of Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani. “It will be clear PM helped his friend,” he said.
He reiterated that the Supreme Court has not said there should not be a JPC. “The SC judgment is clear. They said it is not their jurisdiction. They did not say there should not be any investigation or JPC probe,” Gandhi said.
He also asked why Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which had much more experience, was not given the contract. “HAL has so much experience. Why wasn’t it given the contract? India’s manufacturing capability would have improved. Was former French President Francois Hollande lying?” Gandhi asked.
“PM never came clear on the deal. If (Arun) Jaitely says cost came down, why didn’t they purchase more than 126 jets?” asked Gandhi, urging the Prime Minister to come clean on the deal.
Also read: Why Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to play Rafale ‘bedroom’ tape in Lok Sabha
‘Tape authentic’
He said that the tape in which Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane purportedly told an unknown person that former defence minister and current Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had told the state cabinet that “each and every document pertaining to Rafale is in my bedroom” clearly shows that Parrikar is blackmailing the PM with the information he has.
Gandhi said that the BJP said it is a deal worth Rs 58,000 crore. “Divide it by 36, it comes to Rs 1,600 crore. The numbers were given by them,” he said.
He said though the tapes are authentic and he asked the Speaker whether he could play it, he was denied permission.
“I asked the Speaker, ‘can I play the tape?’ The Congress has made the tape available. It is authentic. There might be other tapes,” said Gandhi.
Also read: James Bond, defence deal and the govt — Not a spy movie but Rafale debate in Lok Sabha
For all his debating abilities as a lawyer, Arun Jaitley hasn’t been able answer two most important questions of national interest: 1) why was 1000 crores extra paid per aircraft 2) who will now manufacture the remaining 90 aircrafts in India?
Why is the BJP objecting to set up a JPC if everything is above board. Common man has a clear doubt that a sizeable benefit will accrue to Anil Ambani, and through him to some individuals or the party of Mr Modi. This doubt will be cleared only through a probe by a high powered committee like the JPC or some other that the Supreme Court might set up in the aftermath of Modi government’s application for it to “correct” its order.