BJP moves Privilege Motion against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over Rafale issue

Anurag Thakur, BJP leader has moved a Privilege Motion against Congress president Rahul Gandhi pertaining to the controversial Rafale deal. 

In the letter addressed to the speaker of Lok Sabha, the leader initiated the notice under Rule 223 against the Congress president in terms of 'misleading the House in a speech' that was delivered on July 20, this year. 

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The letter linked the translated speech by Rahul Gandhi that said-

"In the Rafale aircraft deal, the UPA government agreed to purchase the aircraft at Rs 520 crores. We do not know what happened and who was spoken to. The Prime Minister went to France, but who went with him, the whole country knows. By a magic, the aircraft started costing Rs. 1600 crore."

The letter states the fallaciousness of the statement and accentuates how for reasons of national security, the Government has concealed the exact details of the deal. Further mentioning how there is a "commercial advantage" in the prices negotiated by the NDA government.

It further accentuates that "the price comparison given by Rahul Gandhi is a figment of imagination, incorrect and utter falsehood," thus accusing him of being guilty of Breach of Privilege of Parliament.  

Earlier on Monday, Congress gave notices of breach of privilege in both Houses of Parliament, demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the Rafale deal.

While Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad sent the notice to the chairman of the Upper House, Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge Kharge gave the notice in the Lower House.

"I have given a breach of privilege notice against the government and in particular against Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as it was the Law Ministry that gave the go-ahead for presenting the affidavit before the Supreme Court," he said.

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This is the first time that a government has provided wrong information to the Supreme Court, he said.

"This is why our demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) becomes more relevant. We demand that a JPC be formed to probe the theft in the Rafale deal," Azad said.

"We have no faith in this government as it is misleading the Supreme Court by giving false information and is also misleading the people of the country," he alleged.

(with inputs from PTI)