Apologise to the nation for Rafale, Adityanath tells Rahul Gandhi | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Apologise to the nation for Rafale, Adityanath tells Rahul Gandhi

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | BySadiq Naqvi
Dec 18, 2018 12:54 PM IST

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was in Assam as part of the BJP’s blitzkrieg after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Rafale fighter jet deal, refusing to order any probe of the government to government deal between India and France to procure jets for the Indian Airforce.

There is no question of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Rafale issue and Congress president Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of the country for crossing all levels of decency, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in Guwahati on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses a press conference about Rafale deal, in Guwahati, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018.(PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses a press conference about Rafale deal, in Guwahati, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018.(PTI)

Adityanath was in Assam as part of the BJP’s blitzkrieg after the Supreme Court (SC)’s verdict on the Rafale fighter jet deal, refusing to order any probe of the government to government deal between India and France to procure jets for the Indian Airforce.

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Adityanath said the Congress has been milking the issue. “The Congress has used this malicious campaign fully. And Rahul Gandhi has crossed all limits of decency. The kind of language Rahul Gandhi has used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a crime, and Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people,” he said.

Adityanath said it has become a policy for the Congress to utter a lie a hundred times so that it will seem the truth.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who spoke in Hindi, said, “On the issue of Rafale, the SC’s judgment has made everything clear. Now that the SC has clarified everything, there is no question of a JPC.” A JPC is a committee of parliament and not different to it, he added.

Adityanath said that the BJP has been asking Congress and other parties to discuss it in Parliament. “But to hide behind lies and keep the issue pending, they don’t want to discuss it. So that as long as it is pending, they can continue to mislead the people of the country,” he said.

Adityanath said the Congress was running away from discussion so that the truth about Rafale and other deals including the Agusta Westland helicopter scam, would not be exposed to the people of the country.

Adityanath termed Rahul Gandhi’s statement that he does not agree with the Supreme Court’s judgement as “extremely unfortunate” and as “contempt of court”, even as it also demonstrates the Congress’ s irreverent attitude towards constitutional institutions.”

The UP CM said that during its last 10-year-rule, Congress led UPA government could not take any solid steps when it came to defence requirements of the country and between 2007 and 2014, no decision on the Rafale deal. Further, every defence deal during the Congress era had a mediator, Adityanath said.

“Congress could not close the deal between 2007 and 2014. That shows that the Congress could not find a Quattrocchi or Michel to play along with its choices,” he said, referring to middlemen allegedly involved in the Bofors and Agusta Westland scams respectively.

“The Congress played with the security of the country. The Congress and the leaders associated with it should apologise to the nation for not taking timely decisions when it comes to national security,” Adityanath said.

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