Rahul Gandhi alleges scam in Rafale deal, flays PM Modi with 'top secret' tweet

Congress President Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government on Tuesday and questioned why is it maintaining secrecy over the Rafale deal. After alleging that there was a scam in the fighter aircraft deal between India and France, Rahul mounted his attack on PM Modi with his 'top secret' tweet. "Top Secret (Not for Distribution)/the defence minister says the price negotiated for each Rafale jet by the prime minister and his 'reliable' buddy is a state secret," he tweeted, without naming the "reliable buddy". He called it #TheGreatRafaleMystry. He claimed that the government has adopted a two-point action plan, whereby it would say "informing Parliament about the price is a national security threat" and "brand" those asking about it as "anti-nationals".

Top Secret (Not for Distribution) RM says the price negotiated for each RAFALE jet by the PM and his "reliable" buddy is a state secret. Action Points 1.Informing Parliament about the price is a national security threat 2.Brand all who ask, Anti National#TheGreatRafaleMystery

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 6, 2018

Rahul's attack came after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman created an uproar after she told the Rajya Sabha she could not divulge details of the deal citing a "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Earlier on Tuesday, while speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Rahul alleged,"There is definitely a scam here. Modiji personally brokered the deal. He went to Paris and the deal was changed there." "The Defence Minister Rahul said that she won’t share details of the deal. Never has a government refused to share information of where the taxpayers’ money is being spent," he said. Gandhi also criticised the media for not questioning the government over the deal. He asked media networks to display "some backbone" and question the Rafale deal. The Congress has been alleging that the Centre agreed to buy 36 Rafale aircrafts at inflated prices after Prime Minister Modi visited France. The party has also raised questions about a deal between a firm owned by Anil Ambani and Dassault, which makes the Rafale. Defence Minister Sitharaman has accused the erstwhile UPA government of sitting on the procurement of fighter aircraft for 10 years.