Rahul should apologise on Rafale issue: HP CM

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 17

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has stated that the Congress leadership should honour the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Rafale deal and party president Rahul Gandhi should resign on moral grounds and apologise to the people of the country for misleading them regarding the matter.

Addressing a news conference here today, Thakur welcomed the apex court’s decision regarding the matter and advised the Congress leaders to exercise restraint and abstain from commenting on the order as it amounted to insulting the topmost court of the country.

“Four petitions had been filed before the Supreme Court in connection with the matter and the Court has maintained that no probe was required in this regard,” he said, adding that the decision should be accepted and honoured by all. Thakur also asked the Congress leadership to reveal their source of information regarding the matter.

Taking a dig at the Congress, the BJP leader remarked that if the Congress loses elections, its leaders raise questions over EVMs, but if they win, they remain quiet, which shows their double standard.

Thakur accused the UPA regime of remaining indecisive over the Rafale deal for several years, which delayed its finalisation, thus compromising national security. He alleged that the deal could not be finalised during the UPA regime as the matter pertaining to commission could not be settled.

“The possession of the latest and advanced defence equipment is the need of the hour and the BJP regime has struck a government-to-government deal on Rafale in the national interest,” he stated.

Regarding the CAG report on the Rafale deal, the BJP leader explained that the Union Government had appealed to the Supreme Court to rectify paragraph No. 25 in accordance with the facts.

He also raised questions over the Bofors deal, stating that agents and middlemen played a key role in defence deals while the Congress-led coalition government was in power at the Centre.

The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister further stated that the family members of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi were entangled in serious allegations.