Rahul revives joint House probe demand on fighter jet

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 14

The Congress today claimed vindication in the Rafale deal matter, saying the apex court judgment has paved the way for a comprehensive probe even as it renewed the demand for a joint parliamentary committee investigation on the issue.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi cited portions of the SC judgment to reiterate his old demand for a JPC probe. He tweeted, “Justice Joseph of the Supreme Court has opened a huge door into investigation of the Rafale scam. An investigation must now begin in full earnest. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) must also be set up to probe this scam.#BJPLiesOnRafale.”

The Congress officially also argued that the court had cited its limited jurisdiction in the issue but said nothing prevented the probe agencies from going into the matter under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

AICC chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala dared the Government to grant sanction for investigation under the anti-graft law. “SC judgment has also re-affirmed the Congress Party’s stance that the court has limited jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution and court is not the appropriate forum to decide the issues of contractual corruption, malicious bungling in prices, altered specifications, crony capitalism and violation of the mandatory provisions of the Defence Procurement Procedure.”

The Congress is all set to demand a JPC probe into Rafale in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.