The Opposition, led by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Friday stepped up its attack on the Narendra Modi Government over the Rafale issue demanding answers from the Centre regarding the alleged scam in the fighter jet deal with France.
While Sonia held a protest in Parliament premises, party members created a furore in both the Houses of Parliament demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.
Sonia along with Opposition MPs, including Raj Babbar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Ambika Soni, CPI’s D Raja, AAP MP Sushil Gupta, among others, protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament complex, holding placards and raising slogans. They demanded that a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the issue.
Congress members created uproarious scenes in the lok Sabha demanding a probe into the Rafale deal by a JPC, forcing an adjournment of the proceedings. They were heard demanding a JPC probe into the deal and a reply from the Prime Minister.
Congress members, who were earlier in the well raising slogans alleging corruption in the Rafale jet deal, had later walked out of the House.
Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, claiming that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA Government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets. The deal negotiated by the UPA could not be inked.
Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice within minutes during the pre-lunch session amid protest by Congress members over their demand for a JPC probe into the alleged scam in the Rafale jet deal. Congress members were up on their feet since the start of the day in the Rajya Sabha creating uproar over the Rafale issue.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who chaired his first session today, kept appealing to agitating members to allow the Zero Hour to function as other members were seeking to raise matters of public importance. Though the Zero Hour continued amid the din, Congress members raised their pitch and some other Opposition members entered the well to raise their issues. leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the Rafale deal was a “big scam” and there should be a JPC probe into it.