Modi Rafale Deal

BJP MP Files Contempt Case in SC Against Rahul’s Remarks on Rafale

Lekhi, who is a sitting Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi constituency, in her plea alleged that Gandhi has attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice.

New Delhi: BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly attributing his remarks on the recent Rafale verdict to the apex court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it will hear the plea on April 15.

Lekhi, who is a sitting Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi constituency, in her plea alleged that Gandhi has attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Lekhi, told the bench that the Congress president reportedly made a remark that the “Supreme Court said chowkidaar chor hai (The watchman is a thief)” in the verdict.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Files Nomination From Amethi, Challenges PM For Debate on Rafale Issue

The Congress president had on April 10 claimed that the apex court has made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed a theft. He had made the statement while interacting with reporters in Amethi after filing his nomination papers where he is contesting against BJP leader and union minister Smriti Irani.

Gandhi had also recalled a recent interview by the prime minister, in which Modi had said the Supreme Court had given a clean chit to his government on the Rafale deal. Now the SC has made it clear that ‘chowkidarji‘ (watchman) has committed a theft, Gandhi had told reporters after filing his nomination papers from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

He had claimed that the apex court has accepted that there is some corruption in the Rafale deal.

The apex court, which had earlier cleared the Modi government of accusations of corruption over the Rafale deal with France, Tuesday said it will hear a review petition on the basis of the new documents, referred to by the petitioners.

It had on Wednesday allowed the plea of petitioners relying on leaked documents for seeking review of its Rafale judgement and dismissed the government’s preliminary objections claiming “privilege” over them.

Also Read: When the Chowkidar Was Awake, and When He Slept

“I am happy and I have been saying so for months that Hindustan’s PM has given the air force money to (industrialist) Anil Ambani, and the SC has accepted it. The SC is going to investigate it,” Gandhi had said.

I want to thank the SC. It’s a very happy day. SC has talked about justice. Justice has prevailed,” he had added.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

Defence Minister Lied in Parliament on HAL; Must Show Documents or Resign: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi’s attack came after a media report claimed that “not a single rupee of the said Rs 1 lakh crore has come to HAL, since not a single order, as claimed, has been signed till now.”

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman “lied” in Parliament that government orders worth Rs one lakh crore were provided to HAL while demanding that she should either place the documents in support of her statement in the House or resign.

Gandhi’s attack came after a media report claimed that “not a single rupee of the said Rs 1 lakh crore has come to HAL, since not a single order, as claimed, has been signed till now.”

The media report cited senior HAL management officials in order to back its claim

The Congress has been targeting the government, alleging that it denied the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) an offset contract under the Rafale fighter jets deal with France, a charge the government has denied

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has accused the Congress of not supporting HAL during its rule and asserted that the government is now strengthening the defence public sector undertaking

“When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies, to cover up the first one. In her eagerness to defend the PM’s Rafale lie, the RM lied to Parliament,” Gandhi tweeted

“Tomorrow, RM must place before Parliament documents showing 1 Lakh crore of Govt orders to HAL. Or resign,” he said

Gandhi had on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “weakening” HAL to help his “suit-boot” friend

Gandhi’s attack on Saturday had come over a media report which claimed that HAL, grappling with low finances, was forced to borrow Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries to its employees for the first time in years

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted on Sunday: “The Lying Defence Minister’s Lies Get Exposed! Defence Minister claimed that procurement orders worth Rs 1 Lakh Crore provided to HAL! HAL says Not a SINGLE PAISA has come, as Not a SINGLE ORDER has been signed!”

“For the first time, HAL forced to take a loan of Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries!” he added.

Goa Minister Said Manohar Parrikar Has Rafale Documents in His Bedroom: Congress

Goa minister Vishwajit Rane, who is purportedly on the recording released by the Congress, has said the audio is doctored.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s purported claim that he had a file on the Rafale deal “lying in his bedroom”. The grand old party asked if this was the reason why a joint parliamentary committee probe was not being ordered.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala published a conversation purportedly between Goa minister Vishwajit Rane and another person.

Rane purportedly can be heard saying that during a Goa cabinet meeting last week, Parrikar stated he had an entire file and all documents relating to the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom, Surjewala claimed, playing the conversation for the media outside parliament.

He quoted Rane as saying, “The chief minister made a very interesting statement, that I have all the information of Rafale in my bedroom….that’s means he is holding them to ransom. He said it is in my bedroom here only in my flat, each and every document on Rafale.”

Rane has said that the tape is doctored and that Parrikar “never made any reference to Rafale”.

Also Read: During Crucial Rafale Negotiations, PMO Compromised Defence Ministry’s Position

There was no confirmation on whether it was the voice of Rane in the audio. The identity of the other person was also not ascertained.

The BJP has alleged that the Congress is only “peddling lies” on the Rafale issue.

“Now it is clear that the ‘chowkidaar is chor’ (the watchman is a thief),” Surjewala told reporters in an apparent reference to Modi.

“Now the prime minister should answer. The country is demanding answers as to what secrets in the Rafale ‘scam’ are lying inside Manohar Parrikar’s flat and bedroom,” he claimed, asking why the ‘chowkidaar’ is fearing Parrikar.

“Now the prime minister has to answer. He only does captive interviews and is not used to answering questions from the media. What is the hitch in making public all the documents,” he asked.

Surjewala claimed the skeletons were tumbling out of the Rafale scam cupboard.

“New evidence busts ‘chowkidar’s’ worst kept secrets. What is Modi government hiding… Is this the reason why a JPC probe is not being ordered,” he asked.

Training his guns on Modi, Surjewala said, “this is a personal charge against you”.

Also Read: Missing Links: The Supreme Court’s Verdict on the Rafale Deal

“There was corruption and wrongdoing in the Rafale scam and it is all recorded in the files. Those files are with Mr Parrikar. Why are they being hidden? If Mr. Modi has nothing to hide, then why is Mr. Parrikar keeping those files in his bedroom and threatening everybody that nobody can do anything against him, for he has the Rafale files,” he alleged.

Rane demands probe into audio clip

Rane told BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday that he has asked the state government to order an inquiry into the matter.

In a letter to Shah, Rane said he never had any conversation with anyone on the Rafale issue.

According to BJP sources, Rane has said, “I have also sent a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asking for an immediate police inquiry and criminal investigation to expose the mischievous elements.”

“…this is a doctored audio and have never had any discussion with this regard on this subject with anyone,” Rane said.

“I would like to…inform the chief minister that there is someone playing mischief and there should be inquiry in this matter and such mischievous elements need to be brought to the books,” Rane said in the letter to Parrikar.

(With PTI inputs)