Mumbai: Congress leader Anand Sharma called Prime Mini-ster Narendra Modi ‘an agent’ in the Rafale jet deal. He said this in reaction to Mr Modi’s remarks that Co-ngress couldn’t digest a defence deal without agents.
Mr Sharma also said that his party is firm on its demand that a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe the deal and reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the probe done by a parliamentary committee in the Bofors scandal.
Mr Modi in his recent rally at Rae Bareli had said that the Congress has a history of defence deals with people like Quattrocchi ‘mama’ (a reference to Bof-ors) or a Christian Michel uncle (of AgustaWestland-). He has said that Congress couldn’t digest defence deals without such people. Mr Modi did not mention the Rafale deal in name during his rally.
Replying to this allegation, Mr Sharma said, “Let me remind Mr Modiji that there was a JPC inquiry into Bofors. So he should be ready for a JPC. This time there was no agent because he himself has worked as an agent. Only he is responsible for the sudden hike in the price of the jets as well as last-minu-tes changes in the defence deal.” “If Modiji has not done anything wrong then he should face the JPC,” he added.
The leader also said that the Congress feels that Supreme Court must take note of how the government has “mislead” it and take action accordingly. “To keep the essence of democracy intact, this misleading must not go unpunished. There should be a case of forgery as well as contempt of Supreme Co-urt against the Union Gov-ernment,” demanded Mr Sharma. Congress’ deputy leader in Rajya Sabha also clarified that the party would go to the Com-ptroller and Auditor General (CAG) again. “We will wait for the CAG report.
The Public Accounts Committee will examine it. Our demand is about the JPC and we will keep asking for it in Parliament,” said Mr Sharma.
