New Delhi, Mar 7: Accusing the government of manipulating institutions to "save" Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said it has spoken of investigating the media over the theft of Rafale documents but has not probed those involved in the "scam of over ₹30,000 crore".
Investigate everyone but probe Modi as well, Mr. Gandhi told a press conference, accusing the Prime Minister of performing a "bypass surgery" in the purchase of the fighter aircraft for corruption, including benefiting businessman Anil Ambani.
Officials Secrets Act
To a question whether the Officials Secrets Act (OSA) should be scrapped, Mr. Gandhi replied, “The Hindu has clearly shown the PM is involved in Rafale deal. I can't say whether the Officials Secrets Act should be scrapped, but you [The Hindu] are being punished for being brave."
In Defence Ministry files, it is written that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) carried out parallel negotiations in the fighter jet deal, then why can't the PM be investigated, he asked.
The government has constantly rejected the allegations levelled by the Congress with the BJP accusing Mr. Gandhi of spreading lies to torpedo the Rafale deal due to his vested interests. Mr. Ambani has also rejected corruption allegations.
A day after the government told the Supreme Court that the Rafale files were stolen from the Defence Ministry, the Congress chief took a dig, saying the documents have disappeared like two crore jobs for youths, right price for farmers' produces and the promised ₹15 lakh for everybody.
Targeting Mr. Modi, Mr. Gandhi said the files have disappeared in the same way as jobs did following demonetisation and implementation of the GST.
Hitting back at Mr. Modi for calling the Congress a "poster boy" following the Balakot air strike, Mr. Gandhi said "it is he who is Pakistan's poster boy, not us" as he noted that the Modi government allowed Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to probe the Pathankot terror attack.
Mr. Modi had also invited the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend his swearing in and then went to the country to meet him as well, he said.
Hyderabad, Feb 10: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi continued his tirade against PM Modi and Amit Shah against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). "We are ready to take bullets in our chests but we will not show our papers.
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