Congress manufacturing corruption allegations: Arun Jaitley
ET Online|
Updated: Feb 08, 2018, 07.57 PM IST
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday defended the government's decision not to disclose the price of Rafale fighter aircraft deal saying it was in the larger interests of the country's security and also accused the Opposition of "manufacturing corruption allegations".
Jaitley during his speech in the Lok Sabha on Union Budget 2018 said disclosing the price in defence deals would give away specifications of the weapons systems in the aircraft and pointed out that the former Congress-led UPA government too had not divulged such details in Parliament.
Jaitley was responding to allegations made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi yesterday on the Rafale deal. "PM promised that he would not tolerate corruption and now he is shielding those who are involved in Rafale scam. Why didn't he answer any of the questions raised about his complicity in the deal during his 90-minute address?" Rahul had asked.
The finance minister pointed out that Pranab Mukherjee in 2005, when he was defence minister, refused to disclose details of weapons purchased from the US and his successor AK Antony in 2005 did not share information on a defence deal with Israel.
"It is in the larger interest of India's security to not disclose the price of defence transactions. You can give approximate price but if you give exact price, you give away details of the weapons purchased," Jaitley said adding that Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi who raised the allegation should go back to Mukherjee and "take lessons" on such things.
When Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the finance minister that he was accountable to Parliament on how public money was spent, Jaitley said his govenment was as accountable as the UPA was.
Jaitley's accusation that the Congress was "manufacturing corruption allegation" provoked Opposition members who disrupted the House for several minutes and shouted slogans against the government..
Jaitley during his speech in the Lok Sabha on Union Budget 2018 said disclosing the price in defence deals would give away specifications of the weapons systems in the aircraft and pointed out that the former Congress-led UPA government too had not divulged such details in Parliament.
Jaitley was responding to allegations made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi yesterday on the Rafale deal. "PM promised that he would not tolerate corruption and now he is shielding those who are involved in Rafale scam. Why didn't he answer any of the questions raised about his complicity in the deal during his 90-minute address?" Rahul had asked.
The finance minister pointed out that Pranab Mukherjee in 2005, when he was defence minister, refused to disclose details of weapons purchased from the US and his successor AK Antony in 2005 did not share information on a defence deal with Israel.
"It is in the larger interest of India's security to not disclose the price of defence transactions. You can give approximate price but if you give exact price, you give away details of the weapons purchased," Jaitley said adding that Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi who raised the allegation should go back to Mukherjee and "take lessons" on such things.
When Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the finance minister that he was accountable to Parliament on how public money was spent, Jaitley said his govenment was as accountable as the UPA was.
Jaitley's accusation that the Congress was "manufacturing corruption allegation" provoked Opposition members who disrupted the House for several minutes and shouted slogans against the government..
