Says No Ground to Order FIR
AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today rejected a batch of review petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets, saying the pleas were without merit.
A three-judge bench also rejected the contention that there was a need for registration of FIR in connection with the deal.
The pleas had sought re-examination of Apex Court’s 14th December 2018 verdict which said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process.
A batch of petitions, including those filed by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, and lawyer Prashant Bhushan had sought a review, alleging that material facts were suppressed and a criminal investigation should be filed in the case.
Centre has welcomed the Supreme Court decision. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the dismissal of the review petitions in the Rafale case. Mr Singh said the NDA Government stands vindicated with this pronouncement.
The Defence Minister said the issues pertaining to defence preparedness and national security should never be politicised. He said, the allegation of corruption in Rafale deal was nothing but an attempt to malign the clean and honest image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA government.
BJP said Congress and party leader Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the country after Supreme Court rejected a batch of review petitions seeking probe into Rafale deal.
Briefing media in New Delhi, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, Mr Gandhi deliberately misquoted Supreme Court and attributed ‘chowkidar’ remark to the apex court.
Party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the petitions were politically motivated and an attempt to tarnish the reputation of BJP and NDA government. He said that by dismissing the review petitions, the Supreme Court has given a clean chit to the entire Rafale deal.
On the apex court’s decision regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrongly attributing the apex court his “chowkidar” remark in Rafale case, the BJP spokesperson said, Congress now stands exposed in front of the whole country. He said the Supreme Court admonished Mr Gandhi for dragging the Court in political discourse. He said Rahul Gandhi’s credibility has gone down after this.