Rahul vs Modi: Congress and BJP fight over Rafale deal in Lok Sabha

The Congress party on Monday fielded former defence minister A K Antony in the Lok Sabha to demand the Narendra Modi government make public the price at which Rafale fighter jets are being purchased.

Countering Antony’s charges, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed it a “collective singing of falsehood” to defend Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Prasad said Gandhi was “prima facie guilty of breach of privilege for misleading” the Lok Sabha.


The Congress chief had raised the issue of the price of Rafale in the Lok Sabha on Friday, during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government. In the discussion, Prime Minister (PM) had termed Rahul’s accusations “childish”. Some of the members of parliament (MPs) of the BJP have also moved a privilege motion against the Congress chief.

On Monday, the Congress accused the PM and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “lying” in Parliament on the Rafale deal. The party said there was no secrecy clause in the 2008 Indo-French pact.

The Centre, however, has argued that the agreement binds the government from revealing price details. The Congress might even move a privilege motion against the PM and Sitharaman for “misleading” the Lok Sabha.

PMO was aware of the PNB scam almost two years ago: Congress

PNB Scam - The Congress on Thursday said that a whistleblower had alerted the government in 2016 about the Rs 115 billion banking fraud by fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ignored the tip.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said whistleblower Hari Prasad had written to the Prime Minister's Office as early as July 2016, alerting the government about the "biggest bank loot scam in 70 years" in independent India.

"What does the Prime Minister do? Nothing. What does the Finance Ministry do? Nothing.

What does the Corporate Affairs Ministry do? Nothing. What does the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Finance Ministry do? Nothing," Surjewala told reporters on Thursday.

"You are in power, a fraud is happening under your nose. What were you doing and how did they let the accused escape? Face the truth and answer questions."

He also asked Prime Minister Modi what the fugitive billionaire was doing with him at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.