Mallikarjun Kharge demands JPC probe in Rafale deal, says ‘how can entire para be typo?’ 

Mallikarjun Kharge.

Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded a joint parliamentary committee to probe if there has been any irregularity in the Rafale warplane deal saying that an entire paragraph (in the government’s submission of details to the Supreme Court) cannot be a typographical error.

The Supreme Court, in its recent verdict on petitions seeking a probe on the deal, mentioned that the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) had looked into the files and found no irregularities in the government’s deal with France’s Dassault Aviation.

The apex court mentioned the CAG report based on the government’s submission of the details to the court in a sealed envelope. Following this, the opposition, especially the Congress, charged the government with lying as there was no such CAG report as mentioned by the government. The government also rushed to file an affidavit in the court saying there was a typo in its submission and should be corrected.

Kharge, who is also the chairman of the public accounts committee of Parliament, said, while talking to a news agency, “We want a JPC as we’ll only get to know everything when Parliament members sit and look into the files. A JPC was formed in Bofors and 2G cases also. How can there be a typo? Had it been one word it would’ve been understandable, entire paragraph can’t be a typo.”

The Congress maintains that the error had been pointed out by the petitioners and that the government had misguided the court.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “How does the Supreme Court judgment have this line that Rafale pricing has been examined by the PAC. Now, we have to ask the government, where is this CAG report?”

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