Cong to press for PM’s quizzing on Rafale

SHILLONG: As the BJP deputes its prominent leaders to different states, including in the North East, to counter the allegations of a scam in the Rafale deal, the Congress too is leaving no stone unturned to nail its saffron rival.
Gaurav Gogoi, the AICC spokesperson and MP from Assam who was in the city on Tuesday, reiterated the party’s demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the deal and told the local media that it would press for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s deposition before the inquiry panel.
Gogoi’s statement comes a day after BJP leader and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb called the Rafale allegations part of an international conspiracy.
Last week, the Supreme Court gave the Centre clean chit saying there was nothing wrong in the deal. To this, Gogoi said the Modi government hoodwinked the court by producing false statements and witnesses and the apex court should withdraw its judgment and penalise the BJP for misleading it.
Stating that the Supreme Court cannot go into the pricing of Rafale jets, he questioned as to why BJP is shying away from the growing demand of a JPC probe into the matter.
When asked about Deb’s “international saazish” remark, the MP said BJP and RSS are masters of lies. “There is no international conspiracy but there is a domestic conspiracy between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoons, Anil Ambani,” he said.
Slamming Modi, he said the upcoming Assembly elections will be a fight between the people of India and 15-20 industrialists supported by Modi. “Modi is not the PM of the country but he is the PM of 15-20 industrialists,” he said.