Shri Anand Sharma, Senior spokesperson and former Union Minister addressed media at AICC Hdqrs., today.
For the last two days, the Rafale Jet fighter purchase scam has been once again in discussion and part of the national narrative. Following a judgment of the Supreme Court on certain PILs filed by individual persons or entities. We have said and I am repeating, that the Indian National Congress has been of this considered and consistent view that the Supreme Court is not the right forum to investigate the matter, to probe which it has not done and Honorable Supreme Court itself has said so. Particularly with regard to the processes and the pricing of the Air Craft and the fact that the earlier negotiated price of Rs. 526 crores per Air Craft as per the “Request for Proposal” (RFP) which according to the Supreme Court itself was withdrawn only in the month of June and the Prime Minister had taken the arbitrary decision to purchase 36 Rafale Jet Air Craft under the IGA as has been said and claimed by the Government and also Identified the Indian partner; that is the Reliance Aerostructure, a company which was registered just few days before to the then French President Francois Hollande.
The Supreme Court judgment is not only self contradictory, but we are shocked to find factual inaccuracies and the aversions which were made, submissions of the Government were false and the judgment is based on that premise that the Government had shared the pricing details with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the CAG has finalized the report submitted the report through the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament and the redacted portions of that have been shared with the Parliament and this is in public domain.
There has been no CAG report, as you would recall the Congress leaders, a delegation had met with the CAG few months ago and we had informed through you the country what we had asked the CAG to do. A Forensic Audit of the global tender of the RFP and all the processes while preparing its report which would be examined then by the Parliament; by the PAC. It is mandatory for the CAG to give the report to the Parliament that is the constitutional requirement. I am a Member of Parliament; no report has been received by the Parliament. Neither the CAG can say that they have sent a report to the Parliament. It is a lengthy process there after that the PAC examines and then the report of the PAC, not the redacted portions, as the Government has told the Supreme Court. The full report of the Public Accounts Committee is given to both the houses of Parliament. So, it is a falsehood multiplied many times. There are other grave gaps in the judgment. I am not going into that, which we have pointed out day before yesterday, I did so in Parliament, subsequently, Shri Randeep Singh Surjewala and yesterday Shri Kapil Sibal Ji. Congress President himself addressed the Press Conference day before yesterday and the PAC Chairman Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has spoken and clarified the position.
This is unprecedented what has happened. The Government’s curative petition yesterday adds insult to the injury caused. What the Government is seeking to do, instead of apologising to the Supreme Court for having committed perjury and contempt of the Court, It has heaped further insult on the Hon’ble Supreme Court by telling the Chief Justice and his fellow judges that they do not understand English language. They do not understand grammar, if you read the curative petition, it actually says so that they did not understand. This is the meaning, they misunderstood. So, First time we have a situation the, Government first communicating false facts to the Supreme Court, misleading the Supreme Court to get a manipulated judgment and then telling the Supreme Court when this glaring error comes to the notice of everyone, that no, you have not understood the English language. So, we, therefore demand that the Supreme Court immediately recalls that judgment which is void. It would be in the interest of the dignity of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to do so, because this entire episode has dented the dignity of the highest court which cannot the allowed. This is unacceptable what has happened, also it is important that the Supreme Court issues a notice of perjury to the Government and the concerned officials and the law officers.
The Supreme Court must also issue contempt notice to the Government. There is no ground for the Supreme Court even to consider yesterday’s petition of the Government after what the Government has done. It’s conduct and its credentials certainly are under dark shadow. The Government has also in the process of misleading the Supreme Court committed a grave act of the breach of privilege of the Parliament which is Sovereign. The Government therefore is guilty of breaching the privileges of all the members of Parliament by having claimed that the CAG has examined and given its report which has been further scrutinized by the PAC, which has given, as I have mentioned the redacted portions to the Indian Parliament. So, all of this is false. There are two processes which must follow. One, I have detailed what we have urged the Supreme Court that it has become imperative without any delay to recall and issue the notices to the Government. Second the Parliament is in session and the Government surely is in the dock for having committed a grave breach of privilege of not only the PAC, but both the Houses of the Indian Parliament. So, this is what I had to say on this matter.
That is what you have to understand. They have told not only a false account but a fictional account has been given to the Supreme Court and the judgment of the Supreme Court is based on that. That is why I have called for its immediate recall.
On a question related to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Shri Sharma said- DMK has been partner of the Congress Party, They have been a part of UPA Governments, their minister have served in the Union Cabinet. We continue to be alliance partners. What is the BJP and AIDMK, what are they worried about? We know that BJP is using AIADMK. BJP is non existent, irrelevant when it comes to Tamil Nadu. They don’t exist there. They want to ride piggyback on a party which is the second party the AIADMK, which has lost all relevance. Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi and Smt. Sonia Gandhi are going. They have every right. Did we ask him not to go to Raebareli that is Mrs. Gandhi’s constituency? Right from Smt. Indira Ji’s time. Did we tell him? There is a difference between us and them. He may go anywhere; it does not matter to us. But, who are they to tell Smt. Sonia Gandhi, where to go and where not to go and to go back from where? We condemn it.
On another question related to 700 press conferences by BJP Shri Sharma said– Let them hold 700 press conferences; they stand exposed and condemned for a lie, which is exposed internationally, nationally. They should not hold press conferences, they should go for penance. Prime Minister has gone and his cabinet should join. May be, the Ganga is not clean still, at least go there and have a dubki. May be, they will realize that they should not tell lies to the Supreme Court.