NEW DELHI: The controversy over the Rafale deal saw BJP and Congress MPs on Monday moving privilege motions against Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on charges of misleading the nation on the defence deal, and providing wrong information to the Supreme Court, respectively.
Congress member Sunil Jakhar moved a privilege notice against PM Modi over the Rafale deal in the Lok Sabha, while leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghluam Nabi Azad, moved a similar notice against law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha moved a privilege motion against Attorney General K K Venugopal.
BJP Lok Sabha member Anurag Thakur moved a similar notice against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying he had been lying to the country over the defence deal. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the motion was under her consideration, while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned following protests by AIADMK and DMK MPs over the Cauvery issue.
“Now it has become clear that to defend its controversial stand on the pricing details and guidelines, the government was presenting wrong facts in front of the apex court. The basis of the SC order on the Rafale deal was a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General which is non-existent and not shared with Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee,” Jakhar said.
“I have given a breach of privilege notice against the government, and in particular against Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, as it was the law ministry that gave the go-ahead for presenting the affidavit before the Supreme Court,” Azad said, adding, “this is the first time that a government has provided wrong information to the Supreme Court.”
Azad reiterated the party’s demand for a JPC probe in the deal. Former finance minister P Chidambaram said many issues had not been examined by the apex court and only a JPC could do that.
The CPI (M) posed 10 questions to the Centre and said they could be answered only if a JPC was formed. “JPC is a must and our MPs will continue demanding it,” said general secretary Sitaram Yechury.