Rafale row Highlights: Even after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified recent controversy over Rafale, the Congress has continued its attack on the government. A media report which appeared on Friday claimed that the Prime Minister’s Office had interfered in price negotiations in the Rafale deal. Responding to the allegations, Sitharaman said that the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had replied to the letter asking the official to remain ‘calm’ and solve the matter with PMO officials.
Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was directly involved in Rafale scam. Addressing the media party office in Delhi, Rahul said that PM Modi has stolen Rs 30, 000 crore of defence forces and handed over it to Anil Ambani whose firm is an offset partner of Dassault Aviation. While citing a media report, Rahul claimed that Defence Ministry had clearly said in a report that PM was carrying out parallel negotiations.
Meanwhile, Rahul will visit Bhopal later in the day where he will address a farmers’ rally. The rally will be held at the BHEL Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal. According to Congress’ media cell coordinator Narendra Saluja, during the thanksgiving rally, farmers will felicitate Rahul for the farm loan waiver decision announced by Congress-led government under Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Rahul Gandhi had during the campaign for the Assembly polls Madhya Pradesh last year, had promised a farm loan waiver if Congress gets majority in the state Legislative Assembly.
All top Congress leaders from the state including CM Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijays Singh are expected to share the stage.
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Highlights
Rafale row: It is an open and shut case, says Rahul
Sitharaman clears air over MoD's dissent note
Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Rahul in Lok Sabha
Kharge demands JPC probe into Rafale deal
Naqvi slams Rahul Gandhi
Now TMC questions Modi-Shah over MoD's dissent note on Rafale
Modi has got dual personality, Rahul responds to PM's 'ulta Chor, Chowkidaar ko daante' remark
Nirmala Sitharaman lied to the nation, says Rahul Gandhi
Truth has come out, says Rahul
Met Manohar Parrikar, but didn't discuss Rafale: Rahul
PM Modi robbed IAF's Rs 30,000 crore, says Congress president
PM Modi guilty in Rafale deal, says Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi rally in Bhopal: Posters describe Congress president as Ram bhakt
Rahul Gandhi rally in Bhopal: Over 2 lakh farmers' to attend
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "if PMO pursues a matter saying what is the progress? How far is it happening? Is it happening here? Is it happening in France? Are you all moving forward? That cannot be construed as interference at all."
Sitharaman hit back at the Congress asked what was the NAC? "National Advisory Council under Shrimati Sonia Gandhi. It was not a Constitutional body. It was remote controlling the PMO. Was that interference? she said.
In an interview to ANI, the defence minister said: "Is it not responsibility of a journalist to search for next before publishing?Or at least say we tried getting answer from the ministry,they didn’t respond&therefore, they're only publishing this much. They've published half truth."
The BJP has hit out at the opposition calling Rafale story the biggest fake news of the year.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has demanded an "independent" CBI raid to seize all Rafale related files and arrest everyone involved. "In the light of today's expose on Rafale, "independent" CBI should raid PMO, seize all the files related to Rafale and make arrests just like they raided my office and residence and Kolkatta police commissioner," he tweeted.
ANI reports that AAP MP Sanjay Singh has written a letter to CBI for registration of FIR in Rafale deal against the persons who were prima facie directly or indirectly involved in causing huge loss to the exchequer including the Prime Minister. A thorough investigation must be conducted in the light of the disclosure made by the newspaper, he has said.
A media report which appeared on Friday claimed that the Prime Minister's Office had interfered in price negotiations in the Rafale deal. The report claimed that there were parallel negotiations by the PMO, and the then defence secretary had objected to that. However, later it turned out that the objection had nothing to do with pricing but a sovereign guarantee.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that during the election, he (Prime Minister Modi) becomes 'Chaiwalla' after the election he becomes 'Rafale walla'.
Speaking to ANI, The Hindu Group Chairman N Ram said: "The story is complete in itself because we have not dealt with Manohar Parrikar's role in this and that needs investigation."
Speaking to ANI, The Hindu Group Chairman said: "I don’t need any certificate from Nirmala Sitharaman. Now they are in big trouble&trying to cover up. My only advice to her would be, ‘You are not involved in the transaction, why you take upon yourself the burden of justifying the indefensible?"
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he has no problem if the government investigates his brother-in-law Robert Vadra or senior party leader P Chidambaram as long as it also answers questions on the Rafale jet deal. Gandhi launched a fresh broadside against the government on the deal following a report in The Hindu newspaper claiming the Defence ministry raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations between India and France.
On Rafale, Rahul Gandhi said, "It is an open and shut case." He said that the government can use the law against everyone, including his brother-in-law Robert Vadra and former Union Finance minister P Chidambaram, but must answer questions on the Rafale deal.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters outside the Parliament that a newspaper published a file noting written by Defence Secretary and "if a newspaper publishes a noting then the ethics of journalism will demand that the newspaper publishes the then Defence Minister’s reply as well."
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha said, "Then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ji replied to that MoD note that remain calm, nothing to worry, everything is going alright. Now, what do you call the NAC led by Sonia Gandhi's interference in earlier PMO? What was that?"
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in Lok Sabha that the opposition wants a JPC probe into the deal. "We demand a joint parliamentary committee, everything will be revealed then, we don't want any explanation now, have heard many explanations, from PM also."
Then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had replied to MoD's dissent note on Rafale negotiations saying, 'It appears PMO and French President office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting. Para 5 appears to be an over reaction.'
Opposition parties are protesting in the Lok Sabha over MoD's dissent note to the PMO in 2015 against negotiations on the purchase of Rafale fighter jets. Opposition members chanted slogans like "chowkidar chor hai" corner the Modi government.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbad Naqvi said that sometimes it looks like some people especially senior leaders of Congress have got 'supari' to defame and misguide on the sensitive issue of national security. "Congress situation is-Na izzat ki chinta na fikar kisi apmaan ki, jai bolo beimaan ki," he said.
Rahul Gandhi said that former French President Francois Hollande had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a thief.
THe opposition members created ruckus in the Lok Sabha over Ministry of Defence's dissent note on Rafale negotiations between India and Frane. TMC MP Saugata Roy said, "Modi-Shah duo is destroying defence backbone of the country."
When Rahul Gandhi was asked about PM Modi's remark that 'Ulta Chor, Chowkidaar ko daante', the Congress president replied: "He is talking about himself? He has got a dual personality? He's now viewing himself as 'Chowkidaar & 'Chor'? He talks to himself at night, one day he becomes 'Chowkidaar' & one day he becomes 'Chor'? Schizophrenia?
Congress president Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lied as well. "Former French President Francois Hollande has admitted that he was made to choose Anil Ambani by PM Modi himself," he said.
Replying to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that Congress is weakening the Indian Air Force, he said, "PM Modi Ji has stolen Rs 30, 000 crore, Defence Ministry has clearly said in a report that PM was carrying out parallel negotiations, the truth has come out."
Replying to a question about his meeting with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar recently, Rahul clarified that he met with Parrikar at his residence but didn't discuss about Rafale deal. "I said I met Manohar Parrikar ji, but there was no discussion on Rafale. It was just a courtesy visit to inquire about his health," he said.
Rahul said that PM Modi himself robbed Air Force's Rs 30,000 crore and gave it to Anil Ambani, we have been raising this since 1 year. Now a report has come where Defence Ministry officials say that PM was holding parallel negotiations with France government.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that Anil Ambani's firm was made an offset partner in the Rafale deal al the recommendation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Prime Minister was guilty in Rafale deal," he said.
Congress president is currently addressing media party office in Delhi. He has reiterated his Rafale charges alleging Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stolen defence forces money and handed over it Anil Ambani whose firm is an offset partner in the Rafale deal.
Several posters appeared in the city on Thursday describing Congress president Rahul Gandhi as 'Ram Bhakt'. Rahul is slated to visit Bhopal to address thanksgiving rally of farmers' for showing faith in the Congress leadership in the last year's assembly polls.
Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi has claimed that more than two lakh farmers from the state are likely to participate in the rally. Chaturvedi said that all arrangements are in place for Congress president's rally. He said that the Congress has fulfiled its election promise of loan waiver to the farmers' of the state.