Rafale verdict: Government files application to correct factual error

The Union government has filed an application in the Supreme Court to correct a factual error in its verdict rejecting the petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The error relates to a reference made about the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), reported PTI news agency.

A law officer said that the application has been filed to convey to the court that there has been some misinterpretation on the issue of the documents placed in a sealed cover relating to the CAG and PAC, it said.

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that it saw no reason to doubt the process followed in the Rs 59,000 crore purchase, effectively vindicating the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s stand that there is nothing wrong in the deal and that due process was followed.

It, however, refused to go into the issue of the deal’s pricing, holding that pricing details have been shared with CAG, and the report of the CAG has been examined by the PAC.

As the NDA demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been relentless in insisting that there has been wrongdoing in the deal, the opposition party refused to accept the government’s claim of vindication and mounted pressure for a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC).

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Mallikarjun Kharge meanwhile, said Saturday he will request all members of the panel to summon the Attorney General and the CAG to ask them when the public auditor’s report was tabled in Parliament.

“Government lied in the SC that the CAG report was presented in the house and in PAC and PAC has probed it. Govt said in the SC it is in public domain. Where is it? Have you seen it? I am going to take this up with other members of PAC. We will summon AG and CAG,” Kharge was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

First Published: Dec 15, 2018 17:24 IST