Prasad slams Rahul for questioning SC's Rafale verdict

Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for questioning the Supreme Court's verdict, in which it dismissed all petitions pertaining to the controversial Rafale deal.

Addressing a presser here, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi made disgraceful remarks on Prime Minister whose honesty is known to all. The SC judgement (on Rafale deal) exposed the lies of Rahul Gandhi and we expected him to accept the judgment. Now, Rahul Gandhi is condemning the SC as well. Is he and the Congress above the SC?"

He further asked the Congress president as to why the deal was not finalised during the previous UPA government.

"Rahul Gandhi has asked us several questions. Today, we want to ask him one question. Between 2006 and 2011, when there was a lower tender in Dassault, why didn't you finalise the deal (Rafale)? What was stopping you?" Prasad asked.

The Union Law Minister also claimed that Rahul's comments on the Rafale deal are being appreciated by Pakistan and China because the two countries, having strengthened their Air Forces, want to know about India's strengths.

A Supreme Court bench, including Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SK Kaul and KM Joseph, today dismissed all petitions pertaining to the Rafale deal stating that there is no need to conduct an investigation.

Rahul said during a press conference earlier in the day that the apex court's judgment was based on a review of the pricing by the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG), a report of which was sent to the Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC), adding that the committee's chairman Mallikarjun Kharge is not aware of any such report.

"When somebody lies, it comes out somewhere. Now the government has to make clear to us as to where is this CAG report? Where is this PAC? In today's time, it is possible that the Prime minister has some other PAC at PMO. The institutes are in shambles," Rahul said.