Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday dismissed The Hindu’s report on the Rafale jet deal as “flogging a dead horse” and accused the Opposition of playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests.

Ms. Sitharaman’s suo motu statement came in the Lok Sabha in the wake of protests by the Congress and other Opposition members over The Hindu’s report, which said that the Defence Ministry had protested to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) about the mechanism being adopted for the Rafale deal.

“They are flogging a dead horse. Periodical enquiries by the PMO cannot be construed as interference,” the Minister said during the Zero Hour. She charged the Opposition with playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests and not working in the interests of the Indian Air Force.

Referring to The Hindu’s report, which said that the then Defence Secretary had objected to the PMO allegedly conducting price negotiations with the French company, Ms. Sitharaman said then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had replied to the letter asking the official to remain “calm” as everything was “alright”.

Ms. Sitharaman also alleged that then Chairperson of the National Advisory Council Sonia Gandhi used to run the PMO regularly during the United Progressive Alliance regime. “Was that not interference?” she asked.