Sparks fly over tape cited by Cong on Parrikar's purported claim on Rafale deal's file; Govt hits back

Sparks flew between the Congress and the Government Wednesday over Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's purported claim he had a file on the Rafale jet deal "lying in his bedroom" and Rahul Gandhi making an attempt in the Lok Sabha to play an audio tape purportedly of a Goa minister regarding this matter.

As tempers ran high in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the tape is "false and fabricated", asking the Congress president if he can authenticate. Jaitley also asserted that Gandhi may have to face privilege motion and even expulsion in case the tape turns out to be fabricated.

Parrikar on his part termed the audio clip cited by the Congress on the Rafale deal as a desperate attempt to fabricate facts after the Supreme Court exposed the "lies" of the opposition party.

No such discussion as cited in the audio clip ever came up during the Cabinet or any other meeting, said Parrikar, who was the defence minister when India and France signed a deal for the purchase of fighter aircraft from France.

The Congress earlier in the day demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Parrikar's purported claim and asked if this was the reason why a joint parliamentary committee(JPC) probe was not being ordered.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala came out with a conversation purportedly between Goa minister Vishwajit Rane and another person.

Rane purportedly can be heard saying that during a Goa cabinet meeting last week Parrikar stated he had an entire file and all documents relating to the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom, Surjewala claimed, playing the conversation for the media outside Parliament.

He quoted Rane as saying, "The chief minister made a very interesting statement, that I have all the information of Rafale in my bedroom....that means he is holding them to ransom. He said it is in my bedroom here only in my flat, each and every document on Rafale."
According to BJP sources, Rane told Shah, "I have also sent a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asking for an immediate police inquiry and criminal investigation to expose the mischievous elements."
Rane, a former Congress leader who joined the BJP after 2017 assembly elections and was made a minister, said, "From the time I have joined the BJP the Congress has been targeting me."