Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury remarked on Attorney General KK Venugopal’s declaration that documents related to Rafale aircraft deal had been stolen from the Defence Ministry, saying: “Modi government itself admits Rafale documents ‘stolen’ from the Ministry of Defence. How can the country’s security be entrusted with this government? But thanks to them for confirming the documents. An FIR against Modi is now inescapable.”
Modi govt itself admits Rafale documents “stolen” from the Ministry of Defence. How can country's security be entrusted with this govt? But thanks to them for confirming the documents. An FIR against Modi is now inescapable. #RafaleScam https://t.co/DHAHXrD7z0
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) March 6, 2019
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government told the Supreme Court on March 6 that the documents related to Rafale aircraft deal had been stolen from the Defence Ministry and that the petitioners seeking a review of its verdict dismissing all pleas against the purchase of the jets relied upon those documents.
Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan had jointly filed the petition and alleged that the Modi government had suppressed crucial facts when the apex court decided to dismiss the batch of PILs against the Rafale deal in December. When Bhushan referred to an article written by The Hindu‘s N Ram, Venugopal opposed it, saying that the articles were based on stolen documents and an investigation into the matter is on.
Venugopal also alleged that the March 6 report in The Hindu — it said lack of bank guarantees from the French side made the cost of the Rafale deal more expensive — was aimed at influencing the proceedings and that amounted to contempt of court.
The AG also told the three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice SK Kaul and Justice KM Joseph that the documents on the Rafale deal relied on by the petitioners were marked secret and classified, and therefore, are in violation of Official Secrets Act.
(With PTI inputs)