Rafale: Defiant Cong wants JPC, says SC can’t review pricing

Aditi Tandon/Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 14

In its first reaction on the Supreme Court dismissing all petitions seeking a review of the Rafale jet purchase, the Congress on Friday said the apex court was limited by constitutional provisions to get into pricing issues and only a parliamentary probe can look at that.

Not giving up on the issue despite the court saying there was no reason to doubt the deal the Congress reiterated its demand for a JPC into the purchase repeating its old allegations of corruption and nepotism in favour of the Anil Ambani led Reliance Defence which got the offset contract in the deal with the French jet maker Dassault Aviation.

Even as the BJP fielded senior ministers to demand an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi for “fear mongering” around the deal the Congress media head Randeep Surjewala said the ruling party will have to answer why the jet originally priced low was eventually bought at three times the previous cost.

“The issue is of corruption, which the government will have to answer. We demand a JPC. The government must tell why HAL was dropped as the partner and transfer of technology clause of the original deal compromised; why a fledgling private company was given a major contract and how the deal was a government to government deal when France didn’t even give a sovereign guarantee and sufficed to give a letter of comfort for the deal,” said the Congress.

Gandhi have instructions to Surjewala to keep the Rafale pot boiling with Surjewala saying “PM Narendra Modi should order a JPC if he has nothing to hide.”

Rahul should apologise: Rajnath  

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the Parliament for “misleading” the nation and causing

“damage” to the country’s international reputation when levelling allegations  on the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets.

Outside the House, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor dismissed the demand for an apology saying "there will be no apology. We need to establish the truth as tax payers money is involved".

Inside the House, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow Mallikaarjun Kharge to speak till Congress leaders were protesting in the Well of the House and did not return to their seats. A visibilily angry Kharge said the party was   demanding a JPC.

Anil Ambani welcomes decision

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani had welcomed the Supreme Court order, saying it established the falsity of politically motivated allegations against his firm.

In its ruling on a batch of petitions seeking a probe into the deal, the apex court said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had entered into an agreement with Ambani's Reliance Defence Ltd (RDL) for fulfilling offset obligations.

"I welcome the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court today summarily dismissing all PILs filed on the Rafale contracts, and conclusively establishing the complete falsity of the wild, baseless and politically motivated allegations levelled against Reliance Group and me personally," Ambani said in a statement.