Congress renews call for JPC in Rafale; Rahul 'pawn' of rival defence firms, says BJP

Congress on Saturday demanded a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the Rafale deal, a day after a French court ordered a judicial probe to investigate allegations of “corruption” and “favouritism” in the multi-billion-dollar fighter jet contract.

“The probe by the French Public Prosecution Agency has vindicated the stand taken by the Congress and Rahul Gandhi that the Rafale deal is marred in corruption,” AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said here.

Read more: France begins judicial probe into Rafale deal with India: French media

He said the government needs to come clean on the biggest defence deal and only an investigation by a JPC would tell whether the Rafale deal was free of corruption.

“The French Public Prosecution agency is also probing the former President and perhaps the current President of France. Why should the Government of India in light of these prima facie allegations of corruption now being judicially investigated in France not conduct JPC,” Surjewala asked.

BJP hit back at the Congress and alleged that Rahul Gandhi was being used as a “pawn” by rival defence agencies.

“The way Rahul Gandhi is behaving, it will not be an exaggeration to say that he is being used as a pawn by competing companies,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

He sought to make light of the judicial probe ordered in France contending that it was a result of the complaint by an NGO and should not be seen as a matter of corruption.

Surjewala said this issue was not about Congress versus BJP, but about the security of the country and “corruption” in the biggest defence deal.

“The facts now clearly tell and call for a thorough JPC probe into the Rafale scam. Will the prime minister, like the French, now answer to the nation and tell when the prime minister will submit his government to a JPC probe into the Rafale scam,” the Congress leader asked.