Congress Seeks Joint Parliamentary Committee to Probe Rafale Deal

Puducherry, Sep 15: Charging Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "showing no interest" for the welfare of people and the nation at large, AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik Saturday sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the modalities adopted in the Rafale aircraft deal. He also said a probe by JPC would bring out the whole truth in the multi-billion dollar fighter jet deal.

Addressing party cadres at a rally here to condemn the "corrupt practices" adopted by the NDA government in the purchase of Rafale combat aircraft, Wasnik said, "the country had never seen such a big scam as was witnessed in the purchase of the aircraft."

"Modi is showing no interest in the welfare of the people and development of the nation.. His interest is in office and power and the RSS," he alleged. Questioning the 'propriety' of the Prime Minister pampering a business tycoon in the Rafale deal causing 'big drain' on the coffers, wasnik said, "we should protect India."

Led by the Congress, opposition parties have been attacking the Modi government alleging it is procuring 36 Rafale jets from France at an exorbitantly high cost.

The Congress has said the UPA finalised a price of Rs 526 crore per fighter while negotiating a deal to buy 126 Rafale jets, but the current government is buying each aircraft at Rs 1,670 crore when the weapons and avionics onboard the jets will be of the same configuration.

In 2016, the Modi government signed a government-to-government deal with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale jets at an estimated cost of Rs 58,000 crore.

In his address, Sanjay Dutt, in charge of the Congress in Tamil Nadu said the Centre was trying to cause trouble to the Narayanasamy-headed Congress government in Puducherry. "We will not buckle under any pressure and will overcome everything successfully," he said. Chief Minister Narayanasamy also spoke on the occasion.