New Delhi: A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “compromising national interest” over Rafale deal, the BJP on Friday alleged that Mr Gandhi was a “serial liar” and “manufacturer of fake news” and said his repeated lies cannot substitute the truth of the deal. The ruling party alleged that Congress is an “issue-less” party and its leadership is bereft of truth are no substitute to Mr Modi and his good governance.
Citing comments of Rafale’s French manufacturer Dassault Aviation's CEO Eric Trappier to reject Mr Gandhi’s allegations against the Modi government, senior BJP leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal said the French government and Dassult have “exposed” Gandhi’s “fake news” and it was high time for him to stop lying.
Asserting that Indians trusted Mr Modi, the Union minister also rejected the suggestion that the Congress has used the issue of alleged corruption in the Rafale deal to create a perception against the prime minister.
Mr Gandhi has been accusing the PM of forcing Dassault to select Reliance as an offset partner to help the Indian firm “pocket” '30000 crore — the entire estimated offset amount.
Targeting Mr Gandhi, the Union minister said it has become clear now that Mr Gandhi has been beating a dead horse and manufacturing fake news.
Mr Goyal said the government has maintained highest standards of transparency and integrity in the deal to buy 36 fighter aircraft from Rafale and it expeditiously purchased the aircraft due to reasons of national security and negotiated a better term than what the UPA dispensation had managed.
The Dassault CEO has categorically confirmed that offset was an obligation for his company and it selected its partners of its “volition and choice”.
He also reiterated the BJP’s charge that the Congress had cancelled the deal with Dassault when it was in power because the French firm did not agree to give benefits to a defence dealer linked to Robert Vadra, Mr Gandhi’s brother-in-law.
The Congress hit back at the BJP over its “serial liar” barb at Rahul Gandhi, saying it should give factual answers to questions asked about the Rafale deal and then the country will decide who is lying and who is not.
Responding to BJP’s attack on Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “Our questions are based on facts, your answers should also be based on facts. The country needs factual answers, we don’t need your adjectives for Rahul Gandhi. ”
