Congress in Lok Sabha on December 31 said that it is ready for a debate on the Rafale jet deal on January 2. “Jaitley ji has thrown a challenge … we are ready for a debate on January 2. Please decide a time,” Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.
He made these remarks soon after the House gave its nod to additional gross expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore during the current fiscal ending March 2019.
Later in the noon at 2.00 pm, when the Lok Sabha was to take up discussion on Supplementary Demands for Grants, Kharge again pressed his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Rafale deal.
Reacting on this Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Kharge should begin the discussion on the issue immediately and asserted that the government was ready to give a reply. Finance Minister alleged Kharge and the Congress was “running away” from the discussion.
Stressing that there should a discussion on Rafale deal, Jaitley said he would prove that the Congress party was spreading lies over the deal.
When the House was about to be adjourned for the day, Kharge reminded Speaker Sumitra Mahajan of the debate and sought time for it.
Earlier in the day, Congress had again sought to raise the issue of the alleged scam in the Rafale deal in Lok Sabha, inviting a sharp reaction from the government stating the Opposition should not “run away” from a debate on the issue.
Congress members have been raising the matter since the start of the Winter Session of Parliament on December 11, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal.
The proceedings of the Lok Sabha of the winter session has been adjourned many times following the ruckus in the house over recent Supreme Court Verdict on Rafale deal and other issues.
Congress has repeatedly criticized the deal for the 36 Rafale jets, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalized by the UPA government.
Ever Since the Supreme Court verdict came on Rafale Deal, both Congress and the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party are launching scathing attacks with the former alleging of Government misleading the Court with CAG Report while the ruling is attacking the Congress of Misleading people about the Deal for electoral gain.
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