Now, AG KK Venugopal says Rafale documents 'not stolen', petitioners used photocopies

Two days after alleging that documents related to Rafale fighter jet deal were stone from the Defence Ministry, Attorney General KK Venugoal took a U-turn from his stance.

The statement that files have been stolen is wholly incorrect, Venugopal said. (Image: PTI)

Venugopal said that petitioners used "photocopies of the original" papers

Officials believe that word ‘stolen’ used by the AG was probably stronger

Both Congress and the BJP exchanged barbs over AG’s recent claim

Rafale fighter jet deal: Two days after alleging that documents related to Rafale fighter jet deal were stone from the Defence Ministry, Attorney General KK Venugopal took a U-turn from his stance on Friday said that the documents were ‘not stolen’ and what he meant was that petitioners in the application used "photocopies of the original" papers, deemed secret by the government. Earlier this week, Venugopal told Supreme Court that documents related to the Rafale deal were stolen from the ministry and was in possession of two media houses. Venugopal also threatened to invoke the Official Secrets Act and initiate ‘criminal action’ against two publications and a lawyer. “I am told that the opposition has alleged what was argued (in SC) was that files had been stolen from the Defence Ministry. This is wholly incorrect. The statement that files have been stolen is wholly incorrect,” Venugopal told news agency PTI. He also stated that the application filed by Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushant, seeking from the court a review of its verdict dismissing pleas for a probe into against the Rafale deal, had annexed three documents which were photocopies of the original. Even some official sources believe that the word ‘stolen’ used by the AG was probably stronger and could have been avoided. Both Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) exchanged barbs over AG’s recent claim that the Rafale documents were not stolen. Congress dubbed it as a lie, while the ruling party slamming Rahul Gandhi for his attack on the government over the issue. “Lies and Rahul Gandhi are synonymous. In this chain, he had yesterday said that Rafale's documents have disappeared from the Defence Ministry, but today it has become clear that no documents had disappeared. Another lie of Rahul Gandhi is in front of the public,” said BJP President Amit Shah adding that Congress President "lies habitually" and currently has no credibility in Indian politics. Whereas, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the government who’s Attorney General does not know the difference between theft of defence ministry files and photocopies, is claiming that the country is in safe hands. “Art of serving hundred lies to hide one truth! Yesterday in Supreme Court -- Rafale files have been stolen. Today -- Photocopies of Rafale files have been stolen,” Surjewala tweeted.

Published at : 09 Mar 2019 08:17 AM (IST)

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