In an attempt to put a lid on a major controversy over his purported remarks defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Monday that he had not given a clean chit to Modi as had been reported by the media and rooted for a JPC probe into the issues relating to the deal.
Speaking at a NCP rally at Beed in Marathawada region in Marathwada, Pawar responded to the criticism against him over his controversial remarks, by saying that he had not thrown his weight behind the Prime Minister as had been quoted as saying in the media. He, however, hastened to add that he would not make allegations against any one as “long as I do not have any proof with me”.
“When UPA was in power, we had decided to purchase Rafle aircraft. But at that the prices of the aircraft had not been finalised. The estimated cost of one Rafle aircraft was Rs 650 crore and the same aircraft has been purchased at Rs 1,660 crore by the Modi Government. I don’t defend Modi. But the Government should give clarification as to why the Rafle price went up much. The Government should accept the Opposition’s demand for a JPC proble in the Rafle deal,” Pawar said.
“Till I have proof with me, I do not make allegations against any one. The Government may keep the technical details of the Rafle aircraft as secret, but it should part with the information about the price of the aircraft,” he said.
Hitting out at the now ruling BJP and then in the Opposition of adopting dual yardsticks in matters relating to defence deals, Pawar said: "When it was in the Opposition, the same BJP had strongly rooted an inquiry into Bofors deal. But when there is prima facie evidence of a large-scale loot in the Rafle deal, why is the same BJP – now in the Government – is refusing to answer questions from the Opposition. If the current Government does not respond, the allegations will continue. Hence the Prime Minister should accept the Opposition’s demand for JPC probe”.
It may be recalled that following Pawar’s purported remark in a television interview that the people had no doubts about Modi’s intentions in the minds of the people vis-a-vis the Rafle deal, there was a massive controversy in political circles across the country.
While NCP founder member Tariq Anwar and general secretary Munaf Hakim had quit from the party, there was jubilation in the ruling BJP which
had begun to drive a wedge in the UPA camp and ready its plans to woo the NCP president in the post 2019 Lok Sabha scenario.
A pleased BJP national president had made the most of Pawar’s controversial comment, by thanking the NCP chief through a tweet and taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi: “I thank Shri @PawarSpeaks Ji, a former Defence Minister and veteran MP, for placing national interests above party politics and speaking the truth. Dear @RahulGandhi, you would be wiser by believing your own ally and a leader of Pawar Saheb’s stature,” Shah tweeted.
Pawar’s daughter and MP had sought to clarify matters by saying that her father had been misquoted. “The thing which he (Pawar) is being quoted that he has given a clean chit to Narendra Modi is not true. Those who are saying so have eithr not heard or seen his interview or they are twisting it intentionally” Sule had a day after the controversy broke.
“People conveniently chose to ignore three things. One, there should be a clarification about the price escalation of the jets. Two, he demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee to conduct an inquiry on Rafale. And, three, he talked about BJP’s double standards about JPC–they demanded for Bofors and now they are avoiding it for Rafale,” Sule said.
However, from the Congress’ side, AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge had defended Pawar by saying that that the latter did not support the Prime Minister in any manner.