Continuing to target the Centre over Rafale, the Congress on Sunday urged the Supreme Court to recall its related judgment and issue notices to the Central Government for contempt of court and perjury, alleging the Centre had provided false information to the apex court.
Addressing a Press conference, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Government is guilty of committing breach of privilege of both Houses of Parliament by misinforming the Supreme Court that the CAG report on Rafale aircraft pricing had been presented to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. “We demand that the SC immediately recall that judgment which is void. This entire episode has dented the dignity of the highest court which cannot be allowed,” he told reporters.
“It is important that the Supreme Court issues a notice of perjury to the Government and the concerned officials and the law officers. The Supreme Court must also issue contempt notice to the Government,” he said.
The SC on Friday dismissed the pleas for court-monitored CBI probe in the Rafale deal, saying there is no occasion to “really doubt the decision-making process.” In its judgment, the court has made a reference to a CAG report on the aircraft deal. It has said the CAG report was examined by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
Referring to certain portion of the judgment, the Congress has pointed out that the Government presented “wrong facts” before the court during the hearing of pleas challenging the aircraft deal with France, which gave the government relief in the cases.
On Saturday, the Centre moved the SC seeking correction in the judgment, saying “misinterpretation” of its note has “resulted in a controversy in the public domain”.
The Centre tried to clarify that it did not say the CAG report was examined by the PAC or a redacted portion was placed before Parliament. It clarified the note had said the Government “has already shared” the price details with CAG, written in past tense and “is factually correct”.
Sharma said there is no ground for the apex court to even consider the Government’s petition seeking to correct the judgment. He said the Government’s conduct and its credentials are certainly “under dark shadow” as it has in the process of “misleading” the court committed “a grave act of the breach of privilege of the Parliament which is Sovereign”.
“The Government, therefore, is guilty of breaching the privileges of all the members of Parliament by having claimed that the CAG has examined and given its report which has been further scrutinised by the PAC, which it has given...All of this is false,” he said.
The Congress leader said two processes must follow now and “we have urged the Supreme Court that it has become imperative without any delay to recall and issue the notices to the Government. Parliament is in session and the Government surely is in the dock for having committed a grave breach of privilege of not only the PAC, but both Houses of Parliament.”
He said the Congress has been of this consistent view that the SC is not the right forum to investigate the issues related to the Rafale deal, to probe, which it has not done and the court itself has said so.
“The SC judgment is not only self contradictory, but we are shocked to find factual inaccuracies and the aversions which were made, submissions of the Government were false,” he said.