Congress MP gives privilege notice against Modi on Rafale

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal on Monday submitted a notice of breach of privilege against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly misleading the Supreme Court in Rafale fighter jet deal.

In his notice, the MP accused Modi of deliberately "misleading" the apex court and the Parliament by presenting "wrong facts" about the fighter jet deal.

The notice was submitted to Lok Sabha Secretary General Snehlata Shrivastava.

"Under rule 222 or the rule of procedure of Lok Sabha, I submit to give a notice of breach of privilege against Narendra Modi ji for having deliberately misled the Supreme Court and the Parliament in connection with the recent judgment on the Rafale fighter jet deal," said the notice.

"It is clear now that to defend the controversial stand on the pricing details and guidelines of the defence deal, the government has presented wrong facts before the Supreme Court. And on that basis, the court made an assertion," it added.

Venugopal said the basis of Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal was based on report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which in non-existent and not shared with Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament.

"This is a serious misrepresentation of the vital and significant fact to the Supreme Court. Thus, the government mislead the Supreme Court over the Rafale deal by placing wrong facts in the affidavit under oath, to hide their dubious role and also cast aspersion on Parliament."

Venugopal said that the judgement of the Supreme Court, as regards the pricing aspect, is based on the statement of the government that the CAG report had been examined by the PAC.

"If the CAG report is in fact available, the same ought to have been presented before the Parliament and it is the Parliament which should have referred the same to the PAC.

"Since the PM and the Ministry of Defence have told the Supreme Court that the CAG report is available and the same was shared with the PAC without placing the same before the Parliament, it amounts to breach of privilege," Venugopal said in his notice.

The Supreme Court had last week dismissed four petitions seeking court-monitored probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters in ready-to-fly condition, holding that the decision-making process is not in doubt and that it cannot go into the question of pricing and choice of Indian offset partner by the French manufacturer Dassault. --IANS

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