Missing Rafale files: Start probe with Manohar Parrikar, says Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted that the probe into the "missing" Rafale files should begin from Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had claimed the files related to the deal were in his possession.

Parrikar was the Defence Minister when India signed the Rafale deal with France. The Centre has told the Supreme Court that some documents related to the multi-billion deal have been "stolen".

Addressing a meeting of the opposition party's booth committee workers, Gandhi also said, that like the 'missing' Rafale files, government in Goa is also missing.

Manohar Parrikar had told the Cabinet that the Rafale files are with him," Rahul Gandhi said referring to a purported audio conversation between Goa minister Vishwajit Rane and an unidentified caller that had references to the deal.

On Wednesday, Rahul demanded an FIR against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale fighter jets deal, asserting that there is "enough evidence to prosecute him."

Certain documents pertaining to the Rafale fighter jets deal were stolen from the Defence Ministry and a probe has been initiated into the matter, the Government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Attorney General (AG), KK Venugopal made the submission during the hearing on review petitions filed by various parties against its December 14, 2018, judgment in which it had refused to order a probe into the deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter planes from France.