Web Desk / NEW DELHI
Two days after meeting Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), a Congress delegation Monday submitted a memorandum to the CVC asking for probe into the multi billion Rafale deal accusing the Modi Govt of causing loss to the public exchequer.
Continuing its offensive against the Narendra Modi government over the controversial Rafale deal, a Congress delegation on Monday met the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking a probe into the alleged corruption in the inter-governmental defence deal to procure 36 fighter jets.
An 11-member delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, met CVC KV Chowdary and submitted a memorandum claiming that the Rafale deal has emerged as India’s “biggest defence scam”. Accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman “friends” for the lucrative offset contract.The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha, Parmod Tiwari and Pranav Jha.
“Tracks of corruption are getting unraveled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry of the day. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your good self,” the party said in the memorandum.
The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2018
The Rafale controversy took a sensational turn after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence’s name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.
The Congress move comes days after the party approached the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi for a special and forensic audit of the Rafale deal.The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him. It has also accused the prime minister, the finance minister and the defence minister of “lying on the issue”.
The Congress leaders interestingly quoted a French media website report on former French President Francois Hollande claiming that France had no choice in the offset deal and was given only the name of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence in the matter.
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BJP accuses Congress of hatching conspiracy to get Rafale deal cancelled
Accusing the government of violating DPP and the PM of unilateral reduction in the number of jets from 126 (under UPA deal to 36) and undue benefit to Ambani, the Congress delegation has demanded a time-bound inquiry.
“As per law, the government is bound to provide full information to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favoritism, corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedures and the principles of level-playing field are part of CVC’s domain to examine and to return a finding.
The government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC, in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to public exchequer.
We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to public exchequer is brought out as the earliest,” the Congress memorandum says.
Before the Congress delegation met the CVC, party chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted a link of the French website claiming Hollande told them that France was given no offset option but Ambani.