Challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the PM to join a 20-minute debate on Rafale deal.
“I would very much like to debate one on one on the Rafale Deal with the Prime Minister,” Gandhi said
Gandhi, on Wednesday, opened the debate on the controversial Rafale deal in Lok Sabha accusing the government of corruption and mentioning the purported audio tape as the latest evidence to prove that all was not well in the deal.
ALSO READ: RaGa attacks government on Rafale; threatens to play audio tape in Lok Sabha
Addressing the media on the same issue, he said, “I asked the Lok Sabha Speaker can I play the tape, Speaker refused to allow me to play it, so there was no question of authenticity of the tape there. Congress has already played it. Also, there might be other tapes as well”
What world is the PM living in? Gandhi questioned, referring PM Modi’s statement in his interview to news agency ANI.
“One thing I found very surprising and interesting in his interview yesterday was that PM said the allegation is not against me personally. What world is the PM living in? ” Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi: One thing I found very surprising and interesting in his interview yesterday was that PM said the allegation is not against me personally. What world is the PM living in? #PMtoANI #RafaleDeal pic.twitter.com/AAsL01eMEg
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2019
Slamming Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s reply in the Lok Sabha today, he said “Arun Jaitley himself told Parliament that size of Rafale deal is Rs 58,000 crore, or Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft, Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the media on Rafale case. “Price of Rafale aircraft has been inflated from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore.”
“Entire cabinet heard what Mr Parrikar said, essentially what Mr Parrikar is doing is threatening & blackmailing the Prime Minister of India because he (Parrikar) has information of the Rafale deal, ” he added.
The Congress has issued a three-line whip to its party members in the Lok Sabha to remain present in the House on Thursday without fail.