Four `Rafale mantris` gave PM Modi space to personally negotiate deal, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi continues to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversial Rafale fighter jets deal between India and France. In his latest attack, the Congress chief took to microblogging site Twitter alleging that ‘India has had 4 Rafale Mantris’.”

Pointing that since coming to power the NDA government has seen four Defence Ministers, the Gandhi scion alleged that the purpose of the same was to ensure that Prime Minister Modi got the “space to personally re-negotiate Rafale with the French”.

“Since 2014, India has had 4 revolving Raksha Mantris. Now we know why. It gave the PM space to personally re-negotiate RAFALE with the French. India has had 4 “RAFALE Mantris”. But, none of them know what really transpired in France. Except the PM. But he won’t speak!,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress chief tweeted the same along with a satire by Amul highlighting the controversy over the Rafale fighter jets deal.

This comes even as the Congress party submitted a notice for privilege motion against Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, alleging that they misled the House over secrecy clause in the Rafale deal.

According to the opposition party, the clause that both Indian and French governments refer to does not call for secrecy over the price of the aircraft. Former defence minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony said that the clause concerned the tactical and technical details of weaponry but not the pricing aspect. He alleged that the government was misleading the nation.

During the no-confidence debate in Lok Sabha on Friday, Rahul Gandhi had attacked the government saying that Nirmala Sitharaman had lied to the nation under pressure from Prime Minister Modi. He cited that the French President had told him in the presence of other senior leaders that there was no clause that prevented the government from revealing the price of the jets.

However, shortly after his speech, the French government released a statement saying that a “secrecy clause” was signed between the two countries in 2008 itself. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his response, had said that he found it unfortunate that both the government had to issue clarifications on such issue of national importance.