Govt lying on Rafale, PM is 'bhagidar' in alleged graft not 'chowkidar': Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today accused the government of "lying" to the nation on the issue of sharing details of the Rafale jet deal and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "bhagidaar" (collaborator) in cases of alleged corruption, not a "chowkidaar (guard).

Addressing the Lok Sabha during his speech in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the NDA government, Gandhi said the French president had clearly conveyed to him during a meeting that there was no problem in sharing details relating to the Rafale deal worth Rs 58,000 crore.

Hours after Gandhi's comments, a Spokesperson in the French Foreign Ministry said France had signed a security pact with India in 2008 which legally binds the two countries to protect the classified information which could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment.

However, the official did not clarify whether the provisions of the pact restrict the Indian government to disclose price details of the Rafale deal.

Alleging corruption in the deal, the Congress has been demanding details, including cost of equipment and weapons, but the government has refused to share them citing a secrecy pact with France.

In one of his sharpest attacks on the government on the issue of alleged graft, Gandhi also trained his guns on Modi.

"I can see him smiling. There is a touch of nervousness. He is looking away, not looking into my eyes," he said, intensifying protests from the treasury benches with opposition members members rising to their feet to counter them.

The truth is that Modi is not a "chowkidar" but a "bhagidaar" in the wrong-doings, the Congress chief said.

"I personally met the French president and asked him if there is such a pact between the French and Indian governments. The French president told me that there is no such pact between the French and Indian governments," Gandhi said.

"This is the truth, and he told me that I have no objection to it (details of Rafale deal) being made public, you can tell it to entire India," he said.

The Congress president alleged that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was lying to the country under pressure from the prime minister.

"Who is being helped, why is the help being given, Niramala ji, the prime minister should tell the country."