Panjim: After Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked PM Modi and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar over Rafale Deal, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar slammed Gandhi on Wednesday for visiting him on the pretext of enquiring about his health, but later using it for ‘petty political gains’.
Parrikar in a letter accused Gandhi of lying, and maintained that the subject of the Rafale fighter jet deal had not even come up during their private conversation.
Congress President met the 63-year-old Goa Chief Minister on Tuesday who is suffering from a serious ailment.
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While addressing party workers, Rahul Gandhi in said Kochi that Parrikar had clearly denied any involvement in the Rafale fighter jet deal, allegedly ‘orchestrated’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘benefit’ Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani.
In his letter, Parrikar said he had received Gandhi in a “healthy political spirit” despite the fact that he was fighting a severe ailment. “However, reading media reports covering your visit to my office has caused me distress. I feel let down that you have used this visit for petty political gains…” he wrote.
“In the five minutes you spent with me, you neither mentioned anything about Rafale nor discussed anything related to it. Nothing whatsoever about Rafale was even mentioned,” he clarified in the letter.
“Paying a courtesy visit and then stooping so low as to make a false statement for petty political gain has raised, in my mind, questions about the sincerity and purpose of your visit,” he said, adding that such tactics should not be adopted against a person “fighting a life-threatening illness”.
Parrikar also reiterated in his letter that the aircraft were bought as per the Defence Procurement Procedure. “I have said this before and wish to reiterate it in today’s context too. The fighter aircraft are being procured by following all stated procedures and keeping national security as the top priority,” he said.