Dynamite News Rahul uses fresh media report to accuse PM of violating Official Secrets Act in Rafale issue
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday used a fresh media report to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acted as a “middleman” for industrialist Anil Ambani in the Rafale fighter deal and accused him of violating the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and indulging in “treason” for which “action must be initiated”.
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday used a fresh media report to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acted as a “middleman” for industrialist Anil Ambani in the Rafale fighter deal and accused him of violating the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and indulging in “treason” for which “action must be initiated”.
He also attacked the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), describing it as “Chowkidar Auditor General” and said the Supreme Court judgement, which gave a clean chit to the government in the matter, is “open to question now”.
Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi displayed some papers and said, "An email has come to light that states 'A. Ambani visited the (French Defence) Minister's office... Mentioned MoU in preparation and intention to sign during PM visit'.
How is Anil Ambani meeting the French Defence Minister prior to Prime Minister's visit?"
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Citing the media report, he claimed that “an Airbus executive wrote that Mr Anil Ambani met the French Defence Minister and told him 10 days before the Rafale deal was signed that he was going to get it.”
He said the Prime Minister needs to answer how Anil Ambani “knew 10 days in advance” of the Rafale deal, about which an announcement was made during Modi’s visit to Paris in April 2015.
"There is a breach of the Official Secrets Act (OSA). The Prime Minister had informed Anil Ambani and then Anil Ambani is telling the French (government) that he is going to get a deal that he gets. He (Ambani) opened the company after this conversation,” Gandhi alleged.
The “email makes it clear that Narendra Modi ji is acting as the middleman for Anil Ambani,” the Congress President said, asking “what more proof do you need?”
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Anil Ambani has earlier rejected allegations of any wrong doing in the Rafale deal.
Asked what action should be taken in the matter, Gandhi said, "Earlier, it was a case of corruption, then procedural (aspects) and it is now the case of the Official Secrets Act (OSA). Action must be initiated on it."
Attacking the Prime Minister, he said, "If you are not involved in Rafale (deal), then you should constitute a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee). Why are you worried? But you are not doing it because the only reason behind it is you are involved in it." (ANI)