Attacking the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded that the inquiry into the ‘missing’ files begin with Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Addressing a party meeting near here, Mr. Gandhi said like the ‘missing’ Rafale files, the Goa government, which is headed by ailing CM Parrikar was also ‘missing.’

“If you want to start an inquiry, start it with Mr. Parrikar. He said clearly before his Cabinet, and it is taped, that the Rafale files are with him and Narendra Modi cannot remove him as Goa Chief Minister because the day he did that he (Parrikar) will bring out the files in the open,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He also questioned the need for the Modi government to hurriedly get rid of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

He attacked Modi government for problems created by demonetisation to common people, also said that the present rate of unemployment was the highest for the last 40 years in the country. He also alleged that the life of farmers was in crisis.

Coming to Goa, Mr. Gandhi said that after destroying the tourism industry with demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax, Mr. Modi wants to help a 'crony capitalist' friend, to make Goa into a coal hub.

"First, Goa was a tourism centre, now Narendra Modi has started making Goa a coal centre for his crony capitalist friend," Mr. Gandhi quipped, in reference to protests of people of port town of Vasco in South Goa against coal pollution caused by coal handling in Mormugao Port berths by companies belonging to Adani ports and JSW Steel.

"Goa was a tourism destination. Their government came, Narendra Modi ordered demonetisation, 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and Goa's tourism has disappeared. Wherever you go, whether it is the Rafale file, Goa government, tourism, employment, future of farmers, everything has gone missing," Mr. Gandhi said.

Exuding confidence that Congress will form a government in Goa and other States soon, Mr. Gandhi said that the Congress would work towards resuming mining industry, which stands banned by the Supreme Court for over a year, with a roadmap of sustainability.

"Congress will form a government in Goa as well as in several other States, wherever the BJP has stolen mandates from the people by using money power," Mr. Gandhi said.

According to him, the fresh revelations by The Hindu indicated that the delivery of the jets would now take place after 10 years.

He attacked the Prime Minister for trying to conduct ‘parallel negotiations’ in the Rafale deal.