Congress president Rahul Gandhi today again repeated his charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi benefited industrialist Anil Ambani in the Rafale jet deal. "Anil Ambani, who met the French defence minister, mentioned an MoU he is looking forward to sign after the Indian prime minister's visit to France. This is a breach of the official secrets act... the PM is the only other person who knows about this... in fact Anil Ambani opened his company after this meeting," he said.
The BJP dismissed the allegations as height of shamelessness and irresponsibility on the part of the Congress president, and asserted that the e-mail he cited to criticise the prime minister referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of the fighter aircraft. "He (Rahul Gandhi) has thrown muck at his own face by abusing our honest prime minister... We will expose his lies before the public," Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Mr Gandhi's scathing attack on PM Modi on the Rafale fighter jet deal comes a day after repeating his allegation of corruption in the 36-jet deal. "The Prime Minister became prime minister saying he will fight corruption. Have you read today's Hindu? It is very clear in today's (Monday's) Hindu article that the PM removed the anti-corruption clause. Every defence deal has an anti-corruption clause," he said after meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was on a day-long fast in the capital.
The Congress alleges that the government finalised an overpriced deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets at an inflated price to benefit Anil Ambani, whose inexperienced defence firm was recommended as an offset partner for Dassault, the company manufacturing the aircraft. Both Dassault and the government have denied the allegations.
Disclaimer: NDTV has been sued for 10,000 crores by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group for its coverage of the Rafale deal
Here are the updates on Rafale controversy:
Mr. Modi is under oath to protect secrets. He has given these secrets to Anil Ambani, who knew about the biggest defence deal in the world 10 days before. This itself is criminal. This itself will put the Prime Minister in jail: CP @RahulGandhi #ChowkidarChorHai pic.twitter.com/RCsv928day
- Congress (@INCIndia) February 12, 2019
The New Document Rahul Gandhi Used Today To Target PM Modi Over RafaleThe New Document Rahul Gandhi Used Today To Target PM Modi Over Rafale | NDTV.com Video | Rahul Gandhi today continued his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Rafale deal by citing a copy of what he said was an email by an Airbus employee with details of the meeting. "PM has compromised national security, he has done what spies do," Rahul Gandhi said in a press conference."
"Rahul Gandhi is acting as a lobbyist for competitive companies. How did he get the email from Airbus?": Minister @rsprasad on #Rafale
- NDTV (@ndtv) February 12, 2019
Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/o2vaOTPgvO pic.twitter.com/tTWNj9TWuu
- This is a very irresponsible statement made by Rahul Gandhi
- Whole Gandhi family gave been involved in several corruption cases
- He together with his mother in on bail
- Rahul Gandhi should tell us how did he get email of Airbus
- He is playing with the national security
- He is working as a lobbyist of foreign company
- We will never submit before his false propaganda
- We will expose them
Mr. Modi is under oath to protect secrets. He has given these secrets to Anil Ambani, who knew about the biggest defence deal in the world 10 days before. This itself is criminal. This itself will put the Prime Minister in jail: CP @RahulGandhi #ChowkidarChorHai pic.twitter.com/UBf5xarRZz
- Congress (@INCIndia) February 12, 2019
- Anil Ambani, who met the French defence minister, mentioned an MoU he is looking forward to sign after the Indian prime minister's visit to France.
- This is a breach of the official secrets act... the PM is the only other person who knows about this... in fact Anil Ambani opened his company after this meeting.
- The Prime Minister is acting as Anil Ambani's middleman.
- All this is stated in an e-mail written by an Airbus employee.
- This is a very serious issue... the Prime Minister now absolutely must reply on this. What is going on?
- The Defence Ministry does not know, the Defence Minister does not know. Only the Prime Minister knows... and then you see, Anil Ambani knows.
- This is no longer just a matter of corruption, it is a matter of the official secrets act, and therefore a national security issue... the Prime Minister has done what spies do. He has divulged issues of national security to someone else.
- The Supreme Court judgment now becomes questionable.
- India's biggest defence plan, something that even the Defence Minister doesn't know, nor does the foreign secretary, but Anil Ambani knows... and the only other person who knows is the Prime Minister.
- National security has been compromised. An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) is known to a businessman before it is drafted before anybody else. Like I said, PM has done something that spies do.
- These 3 things - corruption, procedure, and national security - these just have to be investigated. No one will be spared in this.
