Allegations on Rafale ‘fiction writing’ that compromised security: Jaitley

Team Udayavani, Dec 14, 2018, 6:06 PM IST

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dubbed allegations on the Rafale jet deal as “fiction writing” that compromised national security, after the Supreme Court dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets.

In an apparent attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been alleging corruption in the purchase of the fighter jets, Jaitley said “disrupters” have lost on all counts and those who manufactured falsehood compromised the security of the country.

Falsehood is bound to fall apart and it has, Jaitley said, adding that if honest deals are questioned, then civil servants and armed forces will think twice before undertaking such a process in future.

Buoyed by the verdict, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who addressed a press conference along with Jaitley said the matter of Rafale deal has been put to rest through the apex court’s order.

Jaitley said every figure cited by Rahul Gandhi in his allegations has been false. He said the government would again press for a debate on the issue in Parliament.

He claimed that there has been a tradition in democracies across the world of leaders quitting their positions when their lies are caught.

“Rafale deal has protected both security and commercial interest of India. Allegations on Rafale was fiction writing that was compromising national security,” Jaitley said.

To a question about the Congress demand of Joint parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the deal, he said only judicial body can carry out such an investigation as there has been experience in the past of JPCs working on partisan lines.

The Supreme Court verdict is conclusive and leaves no scope of any doubt on the deal, he said.

In relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to “really doubt the decision making process” warranting setting aside of the contract.

The apex court rejected the pleas seeking lodging of an FIR and the court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).