E-Paper
No setback, our stand has been vindicated, we want JPC: Congress on Rafale verdict
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the Supreme Court verdict was a validation of what the Congress party stated months ago that the Supreme Court is not the forum to decide such sensitive defence contracts
The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court verdict, ruling out a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal, was not a setback. “It has vindicated our stand that corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal cannot be decided by the court,” the party said.
“The verdict of the Supreme Court is a validation of what the Congress party stated months ago that the Supreme Court is not the forum to decide such sensitive defence contracts,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
He added that the alleged corruption in the defence contract can only be brought out by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) after examining the files and notings in the contract.
“If they have nothing to hide, I challenge Modi ji and his government to submit to a JPC probe which will question and go into the corruption in the defence deal,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the government gave a “one-sided half-baked information to the Supreme Court which has not been scrutinised by anyone”.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma also demanded a JPC into the issue, saying, “Supreme Court has not commented on many important aspects. We continue to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC).”
Soon after the top court order, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unleashed an attack on the Congress saying the order exposed the campaign of misinformation spearheaded by Congress President for political gains and that Gandhi should apologise.
