PM Modi mentioned Rafale deal during his no-cofidence debate. (File)
Highlights
- Congress gives notice for privilege motion in Lok Sabha
- Allege that PM Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman mislead House on Rafale deal
- Government had defended fighter jet deal after opposition charges
The Congress will move a breach of privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha as they have "misled parliament" on the Rafale deal, the party informed Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today. The party had promised action after Friday's debate on the no-confidence motion against the government, during which its chief Rahul Gandhi had launched a blistering attack on the government over the Rafale deal.
Contending that the government is paying a huge amount of money for the fighter jets to favour a businessman, the Congress has demanded a price break-up. The government, it is says, has brought 36 Rafale fighters at thrice the price negotiated by the UPA government for 126 aircraft.
The Prime Minister, the Congress letter contended, claimed the deal was fully transparent -- but the Defence Minister's action was contradictory. Nirmala Sitharaman has told parliament that the price cannot be revealed because of a secrecy clause and that statement was "totally wrong", the Congress said.
The 2008 agreement between France and India is regarding Defence cooperation and includes "acquisition, purchase and transfer of technology between the two nations" and the Prime Minister is "fully aware" of this, the Congress said. It was not specific to Rafale fighter jets and does not prohibit the disclosure of the purchase price, the letter read.
The statement from the French government in response to Friday's debate has "nowhere contradicted what was demanded in the House by the Opposition", which is a disclosure of the purchase price of Rafale jet fighters. The statement, the letter said, "had merely referred to the 2008 confidentiality agreement".
The Congress also said on two occasions, the junior defence minister had disclosed the approximate price of the jets - a move contradictory to the stand taken his boss and the Prime Minister.
"The Prime Minister's claim on transparency in the agreement is factually incorrect and untrue and deliberately made with the intention of misleading the House," the letter read.