The Congress on Wednesday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s purported claim that he had a file on Rafale “lying in his bedroom” and asked if this was the reason why a joint parliamentary committee probe was not being ordered.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala played for the media outside Parliament an audio clip purportedly between Goa Minister Vishwajit Rane and another person.
Mr. Surjewala claimed that in the clip Mr. Rane says that during a State Cabinet meeting last week, Mr. Parrikar stated that he had an entire file and all documents relating to the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom.
He also quoted Mr. Rane as saying, “The Chief Minister made a very interesting statement, that I have all the information of Rafale in my bedroom. That means he is holding them to ransom. He said it is in my bedroom here only in my flat, each and every document on Rafale.”
However, there was no confirmation of whether it was the voice of Mr. Rane in the audio. The identity of the other person was also not ascertained.
The BJP has alleged that the Congress is only “peddling lies” on the Rafale issue.
“Now it is clear that the ‘chowkidaar is chor’ [the watchman is the thief],” Mr. Surjewala said in an apparent reference to Mr. Modi.
“Now the Prime Minister should answer. The country is demanding answers as to what secrets of the Rafale ‘scam’ are lying inside Manohar Parrikar’s flat and bedroom,” he claimed, asking why is the ‘chowkidaar’ fearing Mr. Parrikar.
“He only does captive interviews and is not used to answering questions from the media. What is the hitch in making public all the documents,” he asked.
The skeletons were tumbling out of the Rafale scam cupboard, he claimed.
“New evidence busts ‘chowkidar’s’ worst kept secrets. What is the Modi government hiding. Is this the reason why a JPC [joint parliamentary committee] probe is not being ordered,” he asked.
Mr. Surjewala said, “This is a personal charge against you.”
