The Congress and BJP on Monday sparred over the Rafale issue in both the Houses of the Parliament giving notices of privileges against each other in both the Houses for allegedly airing misleading statements.
The Congress gave notices of breach of privilege in both Houses of Parliament, demanding an explanation from the Government on why it provided the Supreme Court “wrong” information on the Rafale deal. The Congress gave privilege notices against the Government and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Soon the BJP also stepped up attack on Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale issue with three members of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha moving a notice of breach of privilege against the Congress president, alleging that he spoke “falsehood” and “misled the House” over the fighter aircraft deal in his speech during a debate in July.
BJP MPs Anurag Thakur, Nishikant Dubey and Sanjay Jaiswal have sought action against Congress president over his speech during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi Government in Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
BJP has intensified its attack on Rahul following the last week’s Supreme Court verdict dismissing petitions seeking a probe into alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal. The apex court had said there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 fighter jets from France.
Rahul has, however, stuck to his allegations of corruption in the purchase and demanded a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). In their notice against the Congress leader, the BJP MPs quoted Rahul as saying that the UPA Government had agreed to buy the aircraft at Rs 520 crore per unit but when the BJP-led NDA Government signed the deal, it cost Rs 1,600 crores “by magic”.
“The above statement is entirely untrue... We categorically assert that the price comparison given by Rahul Gandhi is a figment of imagination, incorrect and utter falsehood. It was an attempt to mislead the House,” they alleged in their notice. On the part of the Congress Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad sent the notice to the chairman of the Upper House, Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge Kharge gave the notice in the Lower House.
“I have given a breach of privilege notice against the Government and in particular against Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as it was the Law Ministry that gave the go ahead for presenting the affidavit before the Supreme Court,” he said.
This is the first time that a Government has provided wrong information to the Supreme Court, he said.
“This is why our demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) becomes more relevant. We demand that a JPC be formed to probe the theft in the Rafale deal,” Azad said.
“We have no faith in this Government as it is misleading the Supreme Court by giving false information and is also misleading the people of the country,” he alleged.
The Congress, through its notices, is demanding answers from the law minister on why the government provided wrong information to the Supreme Court about the CAG report on the Rafale pricing issue, he said.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged that the Government was guilty of committing breach of privilege of both Houses of Parliament by claiming that the CAG report on Rafale aircraft pricing was presented to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.