Rafale papers not stolen, only unauthorisedly copied: Attorney general
TNN & Agencies | Mar 9, 2019, 02:24 ISTHighlights
- Attorney general K K Venugopal claimed that Rafale documents were not stolen from the defence ministry
- He clarified that what he meant in his submission before the Supreme Court was that petitioners in the application used “photocopies of the original” papers, deemed secret by the government
Attorney general K K Venugopal on Friday claimed that Rafale documents were not stolen from the defence ministryNEW DELHI: Attorney general K K Venugopal on Friday claimed that Rafale documents were not stolen from the defence ministry and what he meant in his submission before the Supreme Court was that petitioners in the application used “photocopies of the original” papers, deemed secret by the government.
His comments in the Supreme Court on Wednesday caused a political row, with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi targeting the government over the theft of such sensitive papers and seeking a criminal probe.
“I am told that the opposition has alleged what was argued (in SC) was that files had been stolen from the defence ministry. This is wholly incorrect,” Venugopal told PTI, in an apparent damage-control exercise.
Official sources told TOI no file relating to the deal was physically missing from the defence ministry. Copies of documents had been made in an authorised manner and this was brought to the notice of the SC. The sources said AG’s use of word “stolen” was probably “stronger” and could have been avoided.
His comments in the Supreme Court on Wednesday caused a political row, with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi targeting the government over the theft of such sensitive papers and seeking a criminal probe.
“I am told that the opposition has alleged what was argued (in SC) was that files had been stolen from the defence ministry. This is wholly incorrect,” Venugopal told PTI, in an apparent damage-control exercise.
Official sources told TOI no file relating to the deal was physically missing from the defence ministry. Copies of documents had been made in an authorised manner and this was brought to the notice of the SC. The sources said AG’s use of word “stolen” was probably “stronger” and could have been avoided.
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