AMN / NEW DELHI
A delegation of senior Congress leaders today met the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, CAG on the Rafale fighter jet deal.
Party sources said that it has demanded a thorough probe into the high-profile Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Earlier on Tuesday, Congress accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “suppressing facts” on the Rafale deal. It has also asked the government to publish “the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aicraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 aicraft deal including the price of each aircraft.”
The Congress also said it’d approach the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to expeditiously and quickly adhere to their constitutional duties.
“The entire scam loss to the public exchequer and the manner and fashion in which crony capitalism has flourished were pointed out to CAG,” Surjewala said after the meeting.
“They assured that they will look at all the documents that we have brought into the public domain and that they will very soon submit a report to the Parliament after examining all the contentions raised by the Congress,” he said.
The Congress hopes to corner the government over the issue and demanded that a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe be initiated.
Speaking to media after the meeting, senior party leader Anand Sharma said, the delegation has requested the CAG to prepare a report on alleged irregularities in Rafale fighter jet deal. He said, the Congress delegation handed a memorandum to the CAG.
The Congress party is demanding that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deals.
On the other hand government said a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee or Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) cannot be set up to go into Rafale fighter jet deal to satisfy the ego of a “ill-informed” Congress leaders.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said what struck him more was the presence in the delegation of Mr Antony, who was the Defence Minister for eight years during which nothing was done for modernisation and empowerment of Indian armed forces.
The BJP leader said that Mr Antony was the minister when the offset rule was framed and who left the HAL in the lurch as far as joint operations were concerned.
“Antony has a lot to answer,” Mr Prasad said, adding that the Indian Air Force badly needed planes as old aircraft were leading to repeated accidents and pilot deaths.