Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today accused Congress of peddling untruth on the Rafale aircraft deal, saying the false campaign by the opposition party and its leader Rahul Gandhi was seriously compromising national security.
In a Facebook blog, Jaitley posed 15 questions to Gandhi and said the deal National Democratic Alliance government had entered into with France on April 2015 for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets was on better terms than the one agreed to by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2007.
“I am asking these questions as his misadventure is impairing national interest and I hope Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party would respond immediately,” he wrote.
Stating that the Rafale controversy was based on complete falsehood, he said it was expected from national political parties and their responsible leaders to keep themselves informed of the basic facts before they enter a public discourse on defence transactions.
Jaitley said Congress and Gandhi were guilty on three counts – delaying the deal by over a decade comprising national security, speaking of falsehood on pricing and procedure, and further delaying the defence procurement by raising these issues.
Needless to say that I am constrained by the secrecy clause which exists in the contract and whatever I ask or respond to would be constrained by that limitation.Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister
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