Trouble for PM Modi! Congress likely to move court over ‘Rafale scam’

Trouble is likely to mount for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over the alleged Rafale scam as the Congress party is planning to take the matter before the court. Senior Congress leader and a renowned lawyer Kapil Sibal on Sunday revealed that his party was waiting for some “necessary documents” before moving to the court.

“We won’t move the court until we get necessary documents in the case,” PTI quoted Sibal as saying.

The Congress has been attacking the BJP-led government over its deal with France’s Dassault Aviation to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, claiming the ruling regime inked the deal on a price three-time higher than what was finalised during the previous UPA government.

Sibal said that the Modi government didn’t have any answers in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal and claimed that External Affairs and Defence ministries were not taken into consideration before finalising the deal with France.

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“The Rafale deal is a big scam to which the Modi government does not have any answer. This deal was struck overlooking the provisions of the Aircraft Procurement Policy. The External Affairs and Defence ministries were not taken into consideration before inking the deal,” he said.

The former union minister said that the Congress-led UPA government had struck the Rafale deal in 2012. As per the deal, the cost per aircraft was about Rs 560 crore. However, Sibal alleged that the Modi government junked the deal and signed a new one in 2016. As per their deal, he said that each aircraft will cost Rs 1,600 crore.

“We are not seeking information on the technology used to manufacture the aircraft. We just want to know on what basis the NDA government inked the deal to buy the aircraft at three times its 2012 cost,” Sibal said.

Reiterating Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s demand, Sibal sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into Rafale deal.

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On being asked about the BJP raking Bofors deal of the 1980s in response to Congress’ Rafale scam accusations, Sibal said that the court had acquitted the people but BJP won’t come out clean on the Rafale deal.

“Has anything happened in Bofors deal yet? The court has acquitted the people. But we will see how these people come out clean of the Rafale deal accusations after 2019,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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