Allegations on Rafale fiction writing: Jaitley

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 14

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dubbed allegations on the Rafale jet deal as “fiction writing” that compromised national security, after the Supreme Court dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets.

In an apparent attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been alleging corruption in the purchase of the fighter jets, Jaitley said “disrupters” have lost on all counts and those who manufactured falsehood compromised the security of the country.

Falsehood is bound to fall apart and it has, Jaitley said, adding that if honest deals are questioned, then civil servants and armed forces will think twice before undertaking such a process in future.

Buoyed by the verdict, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who addressed a press conference along with Jaitley said the matter of Rafale deal has been put to rest through the apex court’s order.

Jaitley said every figure cited by Gandhi in his allegations has been false. He said the government would again press for a debate on the issue in Parliament.

He claimed that there has been a tradition in democracies across the world of leaders quitting their positions when their lies are caught.

“Rafale deal has protected both security and commercial interest of India. Allegations on Rafale was fiction writing that was compromising national security,” Jaitley said.

To a question about the Congress demand of a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the deal, he said only judicial body can carry out such an investigation as there has been experience in the past of JPCs working on partisan lines.

The SC verdict is conclusive and leaves no scope of any doubt on the deal, he said.

In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to “really doubt the decision making process” warranting setting aside of the contract.

The apex court rejected the pleas seeking lodging of an FIR and the court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).

Rahul should apologise: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah on Friday described the SC order as a "victory of truth" and demanded an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

The Supreme Court's decision is slap on the face of those who had alleged corruption, Shah said at a press conference.

Shah challenged the Opposition party for a debate on the Rs 58,000-crore deal in Parliament and said the BJP will agree to as much time as it wants for a discussion after it reiterated its demand for a JPC probe into the matter.

'Web of lies'

As Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued his attacks over the deal, BJP addressed their third press conference of the day over the issue.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi questioning Supreme Court’s verdict

“Is he above the Supreme Court? For past year-and-a-half Rahul Gandhi had been weaving a web of lies over the Rafale jet deal,” Prasad said. “The judgement has exposed the lies of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. We hoped that he will accept the verdict with humility. However, today he has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by condemning the Supreme Court and abusing the prime minister.”

“Is he above the SC? What kind of language is he using, abusing our PM?  We condemn the language he has used. But nothing better was expected of him. This is the new low in polity of the country. The kind of language and words he used, do not behove the president of a political party,” he said. With PTI