Congress and BJP at Loggerheads Over Probe into Rafael Deal as French Government Initiates Judicial Investigation

Tussle between Congress and BJP comes to the fore in the matter of the Rafael Deal…learn more…

Monday, 5th July 2021

The BJP and Congress got embroiled in a spar over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafael jet deal and the French government’s decision to probe into it.

While the Congress bandied accusatory remarks over the silence of the Central government in the matter, the BJP lashed back stating that Rahul Gandhi is being used as a “pawn” by adversary parties. The BJP also alleged that by his relentless efforts in raking up charges of corruption in the Rafael deal, Gandhi is “weakening” India, as a nation.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, in a press conference, also attempted at underplaying the French government’s action of appointing a judge to head a judicial investigation into the purported misconduct and partiality exhibited in the Rs 59,000 crore deal. Patra stated that the matter was a consequence of a report lodged by an NGO and must not be viewed as an issue of corruption.

Also Read: The government is ready to talk to farmers, but has not repealed the Farm Bill: Federal Minister of Agriculture.

Patra also hurtled accusations at the Congress party charging them with spreading lies and misconceptions over the matter and said this is similar to a situation where a competent body in the country chairs a matter brought before it and puts down in the file that “please act accordingly”.

Patra went on to allege, “The way Rahul Gandhi is behaving, it will not be an exaggeration to say that he is being used as a pawn by competing companies. He has been lying right from the beginning on the issue. Probably, he is acting as an agent or some member of Gandhi family has been for a competing company.”

He added that the Gandhi family is stooping to make such allegations as they did not receive any commission in the Rafael deal.

The Opposition is making demands of a joint parliamentary investigation in the matter as, according to them, this is the only way to get to the bottom of the charges of “corruption” in the multi-crore deal involving the purchase of fighter jets. They said that as per available documents, huge sums of money were paid to middlemen in the deal involving the sale of 36 Dassault-built fighter jets.

The demand ensued after an investigative website in France, Mediapart, mentioned about the French government’s engaging a judge to lead a “highly sensitive” judicial probe into contended “corruption and favoritism” in the fighter jet deal with India.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

NDTV