Congress president Rahul Gandhi targets government on Rafale defence deal
* “The first pillar is the process, second is pricing and the third and most interesting is patronage.”
* “You (PM Modi) changed the old deal for 126 fighter jets to 36 jets. Did the Indian Air Force demand the order to be changed, or did you change the number of jets unilaterally.”
* “When you (PM Modi) went to France, the price of the jet went from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore. Why did this price increase?”
* “HAL has been making aircraft for 70 years. The HAL has a tremendous record it has the potential future. It gives job. Anil Ambani is a failed businessman. Dear PM why did you give this contract to your dear friend Anil Ambani and cost the exchequer 40,000 crores.”
* “Prime Minister in an interview said that no one is accusing him personally on Rafale. The entire nation is asking a direct question to the PM.”
* “There are a number of holes in Rafale story. Last time PM listened to my speech and gave a long speech later, where he didn’t talk for even five minutes on Rafale. He doesn’t have guts to come to Parliament to confront, defence minister hides behind AIADMK MPs and PM hides in his room.”
* “The SC has said that to probe the defence deal is not in its jurisdiction, it has not said that there should be no JPC or Parliamentary committee.”
* “When we started the Rafale issue, we knew ‘dal main kuch kala hai’, but now we know ‘puri daal hi kaali hai’.”
* “We demand a JPC in this matter. BJP se main kehna chahta hun ki darne ki baat nahi hai, JPC order kijiye, doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani ho jaayega. (I want to say this to BJP, no need to be afraid. Order a JPC and everything will be clear.”
Finance minister Arun Jaitley counters Congress president’s allegations
* There are some people who have natural dislike for truth
* “On the last occasion, he (Rahul Gandhi) manufactured a conversation between him and the former French President. Today, he repeats the same. Today, he tried to produce a tap but he is too scared to authenticate it.”
* “If the fingers point at you in AugustaWestland, National Herald and Bofors, then it is a bit too much. Today, they have the audacity to raise an allegation against us.”
* “There is a speciality about UPA in decision making that is if the aircraft being selected is not the one whose commerce you have dealt with then delay the transaction, make it impossible.”
* “When he was young, he was playing in the lap of a certain ‘Q’ (Quattrocchi). Congress doesn’t understand national security.”
* “Some people and families understand arithmatic of money but cannot comprehend issues of national security.”