New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley was heckled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday as he claimed that the Congress was making false allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal. Union minister Uma Bharti had to virtually stand guard in front of Mr Jaitley as Congress members came rather close to Mr Jaitley while shouting slogans. The Congr-ess members were also joined by Telugu Desam MPs who continued to create a ruckus over the Centre’s “financial neglect of Andhra Pradesh”.
Trying to raise his voice over the din, Mr Jaitley at one point told the Chair that he was running a “fever”.
Mr Jaitley then tried to address the grievances of NDA ally TDP but the shouting continued. Following the chaos, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the House till Friday when the voting on the Finance Bill is expected to take place.
Mr Jaitley, accusing the Opposition Congress of manufacturing corruption allegations against the government, said that it was in the larger interest of the country’s security that the price of Rafale fighter jets is not disclosed. His defence on the Rafale deal came after Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not answering his questions on the deal because there was something “fishy” in it.
Replying to the debate on the Budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr Jaitley said disclosing the price in defence deals would give away the specifications of weapons systems in the aircraft and noted that the earlier UPA government had also not divulged the details in Parliament.
The finance minister spoke amid slogan-shouting by Congress and TDP members. Ms Uma Bharti was seen trying to shield him from agitated TDP members who are on the warpath demanding funds for Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Jaitley pointed out that Pranab Mukherjee, as defence minister in 2005, had refused to disclose details of the weapons purchased from the United States and his successor, A.K. Antony, did not share information on a defence deal with Israel.
“It is in the larger interest of India’s security to not disclose the price of defence transactions. You can give approximate prices but if you give the exact price, you give away details of the weapons purchased,” Mr Jaitley said, and added Mr Gandhi, who made the allegations, should go back to Mr Mukherjee and take lessons.
At this point, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the finance minister was accountable to Parliament on how public money was spent. To this, Mr Jaitley replied that his government was as accountable as the UPA was.
Mr Gandhi had earlier said it was clear that the Prime Minister was not interested in answering fundamental questions.
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had first said that she would inform the nation about the cost of purchasing Rafale aircraft, but was now saying she could not do so as it was a state secret. “Which of her two statements are correct?” Mr Gandhi had asked.
In the Lok Sabha, as Mr Jaitley spoke, both Congress and TDP members continued to create a ruckus, forcing Mr Jaitley to respond that he was running a fever and should therefore be allowed to complete his speech.
Addressing Andhra Pradesh MPs, he said: “So far we have given funds and promised (funds for) a large number of institutions which are created as a lot went to Telangana. Funds will continue to be given for the establishment of all institutions which are mentioned... when they are being created and when they are built. As far as creation of the capital is concerned, we have made some payments for the capital construction.”
