A day before submission of the audit report on military procurement, including the Rafale jet deal, by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to the President, the Congress on Sunday citing a "conflict of interest" said the exercise is a cover-up of the "scam".
The Opposition's "baseless" allegations about the Rafale fighter jet deal will not affect the BJP's poll prospects, Union minister Piyush Goyal said here on Saturday.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Sitharaman said, "you can wake one who is sleeping, but how will you wake someone who is acting to sleep."
Air Marshal SBP Sinha (retired), who was leading the Indian negotiating team for Rafale fighter jet purchase rejected the charge that the PMO had held parallel negotiations.
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.
Our government has dealt with Rafale deal in a very transparent manner keeping the country's interest in mind, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said while giving a staunch reply to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's instigation on Twitter earlier.
Our government has dealt with Rafale deal in a very transparent manner keeping the country's interest in mind, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said while giving a staunch reply to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's instigation on Twitter earlier.
Rahul Gandhi stressed that he never shared the details of his conversation with the Goa CM Manohar Parrikar.
Addressing Yuva Kranti Yatra at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi, the Congress president alleged that Modi stole opportunities from youth to give Rs. 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani.
Gandhi's visit coincided with the appointment of his sister Priyanka Gandhi as the Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East, the region in which his Amethi constituency falls.
JPC for issues like the 2G Spectrum or Bofors were set up in the past following aspects like money trail and related bank account in Switzerland published extensively by the media, Sitharaman said.
This Gujrat couple, who were adamant followers of PM Narendra Modi, explained the much talked about Rafale deal in their wedding card and it went viral in no time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after talks with the then French President Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris.
The government said it would be best to await the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which has been given access to all the files relating to the contract.
Chidambaram's remarks come in the wake of fresh revelations on the Rafale deal in a media report which claimed that PM Modi's decision to buy 36 aircrafts instead of the 126 asked for by the Air Force pushed the price of each jet up by 41.42 per cent.
In its response to the RTI application filed by Durve, the CAG also refused to share its correspondence related to the audit of Rafale deal with any government department or political party.
"He's driven by fear. It's this fear that is making him corrupt & destroy key institutions," the Congress chief alleged.
Addressing a press conference here after meeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the issue, the employees accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "attempting to build a false narrative" that HAL is incapable of building the Rafale fighter jet.
It is pertinent to mention here that just months before the Lok Sabha elections 2019, the Congress party is trying to corner the Centre on Rafale issue.
The 'chowkidar' can pick a wrongdoer even in darkness, he said.
Top News
Latest News
