All campaigns against Rafale must end now: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad while reacting to Supreme Court's order dismissing all petitions against the Rafale fighter jets deal, urged that all campaigns should now be stopped on the matter.

"I would only urge one thing today. All the campaigns against Rafale must end now because the country's strategic interest is more important," said the Union law minister.

He further said the country needed effective fighter planes to reinforce the strength of the Air Force which was pending for a long time.

Expressing his gratification over Supreme Court's order, the senior Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, "Rafale deal was completely fair, transparent and honest. Supreme Court has given the decision upholding the entire deal."

The three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S K Kaul and K M Joseph of the apex court has dismissed all petitions pertaining to Rafale fighter jets deal on Friday by stating that there is no need to conduct an investigation into details of Rafale pricing.

The court was announcing its decision on the clutch of pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.

The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal.