Singhvi accuses Centre of 'grossly misleading' SC on Rafale deal, demands JPC probe

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi Saturday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "grossly misleading" the Supreme Court in the Rafale deal and said only a JPC probe could unravel the truth.

From the apex court's order, it is evident that the Centre had given misleading information to the Supreme Court regarding CAG and Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he claimed.

The 29-page ruling by the bench of Chief Justice of India on December 14 gave a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government and had mentioned pricing details of Rafale jets being shared with the CAG which, in turn, shared its report with the PAC. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who chairs the PAC, had said no such report had come to him.

The Centre had filed an application in the apex court on December 15 for carrying out a correction in a paragraph in its judgment on the Rafale deal.

The Centre clarifying its position had said it did not say the CAG report was examined by PAC or a redacted portion was placed before Parliament and had pointed out that misinterpretation of its note had resulted in a controversy in the public domain.

Continuing his attack, Singhvi said the Centre had also suppressed facts relating to pricing and a workshare agreement between French aerospace major Dassault Aviation and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

"The Centre has grossly misled the Supreme Court on Rafale fighter jet deal. It is guilty of perjury, contempt of court and breach of privilege of Parliament," Singhvi told reporters here.

The NDA government is filing a correction application because it had misled the apex court by furnishing wrong information, Singhvi said and asked "Is it possible to correct a contempt and perjury already done?"
Slamming the Centre for rejecting the demand for a JPC probe into the deal, Singhvi said "I am unable to understand why BJP is afraid of a JPC inquiry into the issue if they are clean."