Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday targeted senior ally BJP by raking up the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal and said the party's perception of being a "world winner" had been shattered with the results of the just-held state assembly polls.

Thackeray, who had visited Ayodhya last month to push for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in the holy town, said he may soon visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

The Sena leader, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state, was addressing a public rally in Solapur district here.

Thackeray, who has consistently attacked the Modi government on a range of issues, said he has already taken the decision on whether to form an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming General Elections.

The Sena chief in January had announced his party would contest all future Lok Sabha and assembly elections on its own.

In the last six months, the BJP leadership has been consistently stressing on an alliance with the Sena for the upcoming polls.

The Amit Shah-led party has regularly insisted that the Maharashtra-based outfit is its natural ally and they will resolve their differences amicably.

However, at the Pandharpur rally, Thackeray appeared to be in no mood to spare the lead NDA constituent.

"The BJP's perception of a 'world winner' has been shattered by the results of the assembly elections in the five states.

"The outcome of Mizoram and Telangana assembly elections has given a clear message that voters have rejected national parties and chosen strong regional options," he said.

In the just-held polls, the BJP was ousted from power in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh by the Congress, while regional parties did well in Mizoram and Telangana.

"The Chhattisgarh assembly election has also given a strong message against the BJP. People were fed up with the BJP government and hence they rejected it," said Thackeray.

He also took on the Modi government over issues like allegations of&nbsp;irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal and implementation of crop insurance scheme for farmers.

"There have been several allegations over the Rafale fighter jet deal and I do not know how the Supreme Court has given a clean cheat. But I know the Modi government has refused pay hike for jawans," the Sena chief said.

Commenting on the finalisation of seat-sharing in Bihar between the JD(U), the LJP and the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he asked chiefs of the two regional parties to clarify their stand on Ram Mandir and Hindutva.

"Nitish Kumar (the JD-U chief) and (LJP president) Ram Vilas Paswan should declare their views on Ram Mandir and Hindutva," the Sena leader said.&nbsp;

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday targeted senior ally BJP by raking up the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal and said the party's perception of being a "world winner" had been shattered with the results of the just-held state assembly polls.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday targeted senior ally BJP by raking up the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal and said the party's perception of being a "world winner" had been shattered with the results of the just-held state assembly polls. Thackeray, who had visited Ayodhya last month to push for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in the holy town, said he may soon visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. The Sena leader, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state, was addressing a public rally in Solapur district here. Thackeray, who has consistently attacked the Modi government on a range of issues, said he has already taken the decision on whether to form an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming General Elections. The Sena chief in January had announced his party would contest all future Lok Sabha and assembly elections on its own. In the last six months, the BJP leadership has been consistently stressing on an alliance with the Sena for the upcoming polls. The Amit Shah-led party has regularly insisted that the Maharashtra-based outfit is its natural ally and they will resolve their differences amicably. However, at the Pandharpur rally, Thackeray appeared to be in no mood to spare the lead NDA constituent. "The BJP's perception of a 'world winner' has been shattered by the results of the assembly elections in the five states. "The outcome of Mizoram and Telangana assembly elections has given a clear message that voters have rejected national parties and chosen strong regional options," he said. In the just-held polls, the BJP was ousted from power in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh by the Congress, while regional parties did well in Mizoram and Telangana. "The Chhattisgarh assembly election has also given a strong message against the BJP. People were fed up with the BJP government and hence they rejected it," said Thackeray. He also took on the Modi government over issues like allegations of irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal and implementation of crop insurance scheme for farmers. "There have been several allegations over the Rafale fighter jet deal and I do not know how the Supreme Court has given a clean cheat. But I know the Modi government has refused pay hike for jawans," the Sena chief said. Commenting on the finalisation of seat-sharing in Bihar between the JD(U), the LJP and the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he asked chiefs of the two regional parties to clarify their stand on Ram Mandir and Hindutva. "Nitish Kumar (the JD-U chief) and (LJP president) Ram Vilas Paswan should declare their views on Ram Mandir and Hindutva," the Sena leader said.

Shiv Sena chief Thackeray targets BJP over Rafale, assembly poll results

A day&nbsp;after Air Force Chief, BS Dhanoa hailed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-probe-needed-in-rafale-fighter-jet-deal-rules-supreme-court-183957">Supreme Court verdict </a>on Rafale jet deal, senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram&nbsp;urged Army and Air Force to stay out of the debate.

"We are not questioning the Air Force Chief, we are humbly requesting the Army and Air Force to stay out of this debate as no one is doubting the capability of the aircraft."

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Palaniappan Chidambaram: We are not questioning the Air Force Chief, we are humbly requesting the Army and Air Force to stay out of this debate as no one is doubting the capability of the aircraft, questions are being raised on the deal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> <a href="https://t.co/puVbEF3LQE">pic.twitter.com/puVbEF3LQE</a>
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"Questions are being raised on the deal," Chidambaram added.

Yesterday, Air Force Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said that Indian Air Force needs the fighter jets aircraft badly.

Addressing the media in Jodhpur, Dhanoa said that "the Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. rafale is always a need for the Air Force. It took a long time to&nbsp;come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments given by the Finance Minister and our Defence Minister."

The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months.&nbsp;

The Congress has alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft and claimed that the Narendra Modi government is buying them at a price much higher than the one that was being negotiated by the previous government.

Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal.

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A day after Air Force Chief, BS Dhanoa hailed Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal, senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram urged Army and Air Force to stay out of the debate.

A day after Air Force Chief, BS Dhanoa hailed Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal, senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram urged Army and Air Force to stay out of the debate. "We are not questioning the Air Force Chief, we are humbly requesting the Army and Air Force to stay out of this debate as no one is doubting the capability of the aircraft." Palaniappan Chidambaram: We are not questioning the Air Force Chief, we are humbly requesting the Army and Air Force to stay out of this debate as no one is doubting the capability of the aircraft, questions are being raised on the deal #Rafale pic.twitter.com/puVbEF3LQE — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2018 × "Questions are being raised on the deal," Chidambaram added. Yesterday, Air Force Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale jet deal and said that Indian Air Force needs the fighter jets aircraft badly. Addressing the media in Jodhpur, Dhanoa said that "the Supreme Court has given a very fine judgment and I am not going to comment on it. It has also said that this plane is badly needed. rafale is always a need for the Air Force. It took a long time to come. Others have upgraded their squadron. Also, very fine comments given by the Finance Minister and our Defence Minister." The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress has alleged irregularities in the deal for 36 aircraft and claimed that the Narendra Modi government is buying them at a price much higher than the one that was being negotiated by the previous government. Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal.

Stay out of Rafale deal: Chidambaram to Army, Air force

The Rajya Sabha was Thursday adjourned for the day without transacting any business after ruckus in the House over the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arun-jaitley-rules-out-setting-up-jpc-on-rafale-deal-184589"> Rafale fighter jet deal</a> and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-row-hd-kumaraswamy-meeting-pm-a-waste-of-time-says-djayakumar--145439">Cauvery river issue</a>.

Soon after the House met for the day, slogan-shouting members of Tamil parties - AIADMK and DMK -- trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue.

Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards seeking a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of Rafale jets from France.

Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members should allow the House to function.

"Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We have to discuss about (devastation caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said.

He said a notice has been given on the Rafale deal. "We can discuss Rafale deal too. The government has given in writing that it has no objection to a discussion on Rafale."

Besides discussions on distress in the agriculture sector and price rise are also slated, he said.

"The entire country is agitated about the way the House is functioning. The whole country is watching," he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day.

Earlier, Naidu said he had gone into the records after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel had on Wednesday demanded that Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma withdraw his remarks about him.

Naidu said Sharma had on December 18, while raising a point of order, stated that Goel had sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, over the Rafale issue.

However, Goel had on December 19 stated that he made no reference to Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma should withdraw his remarks, Naidu said, adding he went through the records carefully and found that Goel had not referred to Gandhi.

"Therefore the averment made by Goel is correct," he said.

Sharma said he respects the ruling of the Chair but there were a din and commotion in the House and ruling party members were standing and shouting slogans seeking an apology from Gandhi.

Naidu, however, said the record is straight.

"Statement made by Goel seems to be correct," Naidu said.&nbsp;

The Rajya Sabha was Thursday adjourned for the day without transacting any business after ruckus in the House over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue.

The Rajya Sabha was Thursday adjourned for the day without transacting any business after ruckus in the House over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue. Soon after the House met for the day, slogan-shouting members of Tamil parties - AIADMK and DMK -- trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue. Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards seeking a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of Rafale jets from France. Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members should allow the House to function. "Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We have to discuss about (devastation caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said. He said a notice has been given on the Rafale deal. "We can discuss Rafale deal too. The government has given in writing that it has no objection to a discussion on Rafale." Besides discussions on distress in the agriculture sector and price rise are also slated, he said. "The entire country is agitated about the way the House is functioning. The whole country is watching," he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day. Earlier, Naidu said he had gone into the records after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel had on Wednesday demanded that Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma withdraw his remarks about him. Naidu said Sharma had on December 18, while raising a point of order, stated that Goel had sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, over the Rafale issue. However, Goel had on December 19 stated that he made no reference to Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma should withdraw his remarks, Naidu said, adding he went through the records carefully and found that Goel had not referred to Gandhi. "Therefore the averment made by Goel is correct," he said. Sharma said he respects the ruling of the Chair but there were a din and commotion in the House and ruling party members were standing and shouting slogans seeking an apology from Gandhi. Naidu, however, said the record is straight. "Statement made by Goel seems to be correct," Naidu said.

Rajya Sabha adjourned after ruckus over Rafale, Cauvery river issue

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-issue-rocks-rajya-sabha-house-adjourned-till-monday-184026">House was adjourned after heated exchanges</a> between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue.

As the House met Tuesday morning, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the members that various notices on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/andhra-pradesh-on-alert-as-cyclone-phethai-approaches-several-trains-cancelled-184746">urgent matters</a>, ranging from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/odisha-evacuates-11600-people-as-cyclone-phethai-makes-landfall-in-andhra-pradesh-184904">cyclones affecting lives</a> in some states to price rise to agriculture crisis, have been admitted for discussion.

Naidu, who had adjourned the proceedings for the entire day on Monday amid uproar over Rafale, Cauvery and other issues, appealed to the members to let the House run its business.

The Chairman said that he was going through a privilege notice given by the Opposition.

However, soon after the papers were laid by the ministers, members from the two major political parties of Tamil Nadu — AIADMK and DMK —trooped into the Well of the House, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the construction of a dam on Cauvery river.

Some members from Andhra Pradesh were also seen displaying placards demanding special status for the state.

Amid sloganeering, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the privilege motion against the government on the Rafale jet deal should be accepted as the matter is agitating the minds of the people.

Azad alleged the government has misled Parliament and the Supreme Court on the issue, triggering vociferous protests from the treasury benches.

The senior Congress leader said the government has no right to continue in office and "should go".

Naidu, however, said that the Chair should be allowed to take a view on the Privilege notice.

The Congress had given the notice demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the purchase of Rafale fighter jet from a French company.

Countering Azad, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready to discuss all issues, including Rafale.

He demanded that the Congress apologise in the wake of the apex court's refusal to order a SIT probe in Rafale deal and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sajjan-kumar-resigns-from-congress-primary-membership-writes-to-rahul-gandhi-184982">Sajjan Kumar's</a> conviction by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

As slogan shouting by the AIADMK and DMK members continued in the Well of the House, Naidu adjourned the House till 2 PM.

When the House resumed in the afternoon again, Naidu proposed to discuss calling the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs on the situation arising due to the devastation caused by cyclones Gaja and Titli in some states and the action taken by the government in this regard.

However, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma raised a point of order saying that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs had referred to Rahul Gandhi and it is against the rule to demand his apology because he is a member of other House.

Soon after, the ruling party member again started raising slogans and demanded an apology from Gandhi while some of the AIADMK and DMK members trooped into the well to protest over Cauvery issue.

Naidu said that there is no point of order in the matter and asked the member to discuss the serious issues mainly related to farmers which are a problem not only in Tamil Naidu but across the country.

Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted since the session started last week on issues like Rafale, the dam on Cauvery river and the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the House was adjourned after heated exchanges between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue.

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the House was adjourned after heated exchanges between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue. As the House met Tuesday morning, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the members that various notices on urgent matters, ranging from cyclones affecting lives in some states to price rise to agriculture crisis, have been admitted for discussion. Naidu, who had adjourned the proceedings for the entire day on Monday amid uproar over Rafale, Cauvery and other issues, appealed to the members to let the House run its business. The Chairman said that he was going through a privilege notice given by the Opposition. However, soon after the papers were laid by the ministers, members from the two major political parties of Tamil Nadu — AIADMK and DMK —trooped into the Well of the House, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the construction of a dam on Cauvery river. Some members from Andhra Pradesh were also seen displaying placards demanding special status for the state. Amid sloganeering, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the privilege motion against the government on the Rafale jet deal should be accepted as the matter is agitating the minds of the people. Azad alleged the government has misled Parliament and the Supreme Court on the issue, triggering vociferous protests from the treasury benches. The senior Congress leader said the government has no right to continue in office and "should go". Naidu, however, said that the Chair should be allowed to take a view on the Privilege notice. The Congress had given the notice demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the purchase of Rafale fighter jet from a French company. Countering Azad, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready to discuss all issues, including Rafale. He demanded that the Congress apologise in the wake of the apex court's refusal to order a SIT probe in Rafale deal and Sajjan Kumar's conviction by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. As slogan shouting by the AIADMK and DMK members continued in the Well of the House, Naidu adjourned the House till 2 PM. When the House resumed in the afternoon again, Naidu proposed to discuss calling the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs on the situation arising due to the devastation caused by cyclones Gaja and Titli in some states and the action taken by the government in this regard. However, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma raised a point of order saying that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs had referred to Rahul Gandhi and it is against the rule to demand his apology because he is a member of other House. Soon after, the ruling party member again started raising slogans and demanded an apology from Gandhi while some of the AIADMK and DMK members trooped into the well to protest over Cauvery issue. Naidu said that there is no point of order in the matter and asked the member to discuss the serious issues mainly related to farmers which are a problem not only in Tamil Naidu but across the country. Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted since the session started last week on issues like Rafale, the dam on Cauvery river and the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.

For fifth consecutive day, Rajya Sabha disrupted over Rafale, Cauvery

The BJP has moved a privilege motion against Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale issue.&nbsp;

The motion was moved by BJP MP from Himachal's Hamirpur Anurag Thakur.&nbsp;

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BJP moves Privilege Motion in Lok Sabha against Rahul Gandhi over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> issue. The Motion has been moved by Anurag Thakur. (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/Lfia6e1WPE">pic.twitter.com/Lfia6e1WPE</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1074598857227390977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Gandhi and other leaders had alleged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-increased-benchmark-price-of-rafale-jets-negotiating-team-overruled-by-mr-56-rahul-gandhi-177594">the price of the Rafale jets were inflated</a> in the new deal signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French president Francois Hollande. Gandhi said the price of the jets was inflated by as much as three times what the previous UPA government had agreed on with Rafale.&nbsp;

Gandhi had also alleged that that Rafale's India partner — Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence — had been offered a sweetheart deal by the Modi government. The original offset partner had been HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) but the PSU had suddenly been junked in favour of Reliance Defence.&nbsp;

Consequently, a number of petitions were filed in the Supreme Court asking the court to look into the deal.&nbsp;

The court however said last week that there appeared to be nothing wrong with the deal and that it did not need to be probed.&nbsp; 
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The BJP has moved a privilege motion against Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale issue. The motion was moved by BJP MP from Himachal's Hamirpur Anurag Thakur.

The BJP has moved a privilege motion against Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale issue. The motion was moved by BJP MP from Himachal's Hamirpur Anurag Thakur. BJP moves Privilege Motion in Lok Sabha against Rahul Gandhi over #Rafale issue. The Motion has been moved by Anurag Thakur. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/Lfia6e1WPE — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018 × Gandhi and other leaders had alleged the price of the Rafale jets were inflated in the new deal signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French president Francois Hollande. Gandhi said the price of the jets was inflated by as much as three times what the previous UPA government had agreed on with Rafale. Gandhi had also alleged that that Rafale's India partner — Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence — had been offered a sweetheart deal by the Modi government. The original offset partner had been HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) but the PSU had suddenly been junked in favour of Reliance Defence. Consequently, a number of petitions were filed in the Supreme Court asking the court to look into the deal. The court however said last week that there appeared to be nothing wrong with the deal and that it did not need to be probed.

BJP's Anurag Thakur moves privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi over Rafale deal

Union Minister Gen VK Singh (retd) Sunday said the debate surrounding Rafale deal has become pointless after the Supreme court dismissed the pleas challenging the fighter aircraft deal, and asked whether the Gandhi family was above the country's top court.

In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

Accusing the Congress of not refraining from "spreading lies" on the issue, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said by questioning constitutional institutions like the apex court, the Congress had made its intentions suspicious.

"I want to ask one question. Is the Gandhi family even above the Supreme Court?" the former Army chief said at a press conference in&nbsp;Dehradun.

Asked whether as a former army chief and an expert on defence matters he thought it was correct to ignore the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the deal, he said, "Better if Dassault, which makes Rafale jets, is asked this question."

Accusing the Congress of giving false statements over the Rafale deal "again and again" to mislead people, Gen Singh (retd) said the grand old party's leaders have become so desperate that they are now questioning the verdict of a constitutional institution like the Supreme Court.

"Rafale agreement was a government-to-government deal where there were no middlemen involved. It is unfortunate that those practising law at the Supreme Court is now passing their own verdict on it like judges," he said.

"The Congress is running away from a debate on the issue in Parliament but spreading lies about the deal outside it. This makes the party's intentions suspicious," the Union Minister said.&nbsp;

Union Minister Gen VK Singh (retd) Sunday said the debate surrounding Rafale deal has become pointless after the Supreme court dismissed the pleas challenging the fighter aircraft deal, and asked whether the Gandhi family was above the country's top court.

Union Minister Gen VK Singh (retd) Sunday said the debate surrounding Rafale deal has become pointless after the Supreme court dismissed the pleas challenging the fighter aircraft deal, and asked whether the Gandhi family was above the country's top court. In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract. Accusing the Congress of not refraining from "spreading lies" on the issue, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said by questioning constitutional institutions like the apex court, the Congress had made its intentions suspicious. "I want to ask one question. Is the Gandhi family even above the Supreme Court?" the former Army chief said at a press conference in Dehradun. Asked whether as a former army chief and an expert on defence matters he thought it was correct to ignore the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the deal, he said, "Better if Dassault, which makes Rafale jets, is asked this question." Accusing the Congress of giving false statements over the Rafale deal "again and again" to mislead people, Gen Singh (retd) said the grand old party's leaders have become so desperate that they are now questioning the verdict of a constitutional institution like the Supreme Court. "Rafale agreement was a government-to-government deal where there were no middlemen involved. It is unfortunate that those practising law at the Supreme Court is now passing their own verdict on it like judges," he said. "The Congress is running away from a debate on the issue in Parliament but spreading lies about the deal outside it. This makes the party's intentions suspicious," the Union Minister said.

'Is Gandhi family even above Supreme Court?' VK Singh asks on Rafale deal

Ruling out referring the Rafale deal to a parliamentary panel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, calling it "bad losers" and said the CAG's view of the deal is not relevant after the Supreme Court's clean chit.&nbsp;

With the first four days of the winter session of Parliament washed out over various protests, Jaitley said the opposition Congress will prefer disruptions over discussion on Rafale during the remainder of the session.

The Congress, which was not a petitioner before the apex court, wants the Rafale deal to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the price arrived at by the BJP government versus the one negotiated by the previous UPA regime, as also how billionaire Anil Ambani's group with virtually no experience in manufacture of fighter jets was selected as an offset partner for the deal.

"After the Supreme Court has spoken the last word, it gets legitimacy. A political body can never come to a finding contrary to what the Court has said," Jaitley wrote in a Facebook blog, titled 'Rafale - Lies, Shortlived lies and now further lies?'.

On the Congress claiming 'ambiguity' in the Supreme Court judgment that said the deal has been examined by the CAG and is now before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Jaitley said defence transactions go to the CAG for an audit review, which then are referred to the PAC.

"This was factually and accurately stated by the Government before the Court. The audit review of Rafale is pending before the CAG. All facts are shared with it. When its report is out, it will go to the PAC. Notwithstanding this factually correct statement made, if an ambiguity has emerged in the Court Order, the correct course is for anyone to apply / mention before the Court and have it corrected," he said.

The correct picture has been presented to the court and it must now be left to the wisdom of the court to state at which stage the CAG review is pending.

"The CAG review is not relevant to the final findings on procedure, pricing and offset suppliers. But bad losers never accept the truth. Having failed in multiple lies they have now started an innuendo about the Judgement," he said.

Jaitley said Congress, having failed in their initial falsehood, is now "manufacturing further lies about the Judgement."

"On facts it lied. The judgement of the Supreme Court conclusively establishes the Congress party's vulnerabilities in a discussion on defence transactions.

"It will be a great opportunity to remind the nation of the legacy of the Congress Party and its defence acquisitions - a great opportunity indeed for some of us to speak," he wrote.

The finance minister, who had alongside the defence minister led a spirited counter-attack against the Congress on Friday post the Supreme Court ruling, said the opponents of the Rafale deal had a choice of forum to present their side, and they chose the Supreme Court.

"The Court conducts a judicial review, it is a non-partisan, independent and a fair Constitutional authority. The Court's verdict is final. It can't be reviewed by anyone except by the Court itself," he said.&nbsp;

Ruling out setting up a JPC to go into the deal, Jaitley said, "How can a Parliamentary Committee go into the correctness or otherwise to what the Court has said. Is a Committee of Politicians both legally and in terms of human resources capable of reviewing issues already decided by the Supreme Court?"

"On areas such as procedure, offset suppliers and pricing, can a Parliamentary Committee take a different view of what the Court has said?," he said, asking if a contract be breached, nation's security be compromised and the pricing data be made available to Parliament or its panel.

He asked what was the experience of JPC when it took up the Bofors deal -- the only occasion when it investigated a defence transaction.

"The B. Shankaranand Committee in 1987-88 went into the Bofors transaction. Since Parliamentarians are always split on party lines, it came out with a finding that no kickbacks were paid and the monies paid to the middlemen were 'winding up' charges.

"At that time only Win Chaddha appeared to be a middlemen. But then others including Ottavio Quattrocchi, whose bank accounts got detected subsequently, were not entitled to any winding up charges," he wrote.&nbsp; 
Rafale, he said, is a combat aircraft with its weaponry required to improve the strike ability of the Indian Air Force.

"As a political opponent Rahul Gandhi's opposition to the deal was a desperate attempt. It was the UPA Government which had shortlisted the Rafale as it was technically the best and the cheapest," he said.

Jaitley also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an inter-governmental agreement, struck a deal with the French government to further improve the terms and conditions, including the prices on which the UPA had agreed.

He claimed Gandhi's opposition was because Modi has run the cleanest ever government in recent Indian history.&nbsp;

"Secondly, Rahul Gandhi has the burden of a stigmatised legacy which was tainted by Bofors. He was desperately trying to bring an 'immoral equivalence' between Rafale and Bofors. But Rafale did not have middlemen, no kickbacks and obviously no Ottavio Quattrocchi," he said.&nbsp;

"Thirdly, with international cooperation and Governmental cooperation, scamsters of the UPA Government are now being extradited into India. There is obviously a scare of who will talk how much," he said. PTI ANZ ABM 12161654

Ruling out referring the Rafale deal to a parliamentary panel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, calling it "bad losers" and said the CAG's view of the deal is not relevant after the Supreme Court's clean chit.

Ruling out referring the Rafale deal to a parliamentary panel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, calling it "bad losers" and said the CAG's view of the deal is not relevant after the Supreme Court's clean chit. With the first four days of the winter session of Parliament washed out over various protests, Jaitley said the opposition Congress will prefer disruptions over discussion on Rafale during the remainder of the session. The Congress, which was not a petitioner before the apex court, wants the Rafale deal to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the price arrived at by the BJP government versus the one negotiated by the previous UPA regime, as also how billionaire Anil Ambani's group with virtually no experience in manufacture of fighter jets was selected as an offset partner for the deal. "After the Supreme Court has spoken the last word, it gets legitimacy. A political body can never come to a finding contrary to what the Court has said," Jaitley wrote in a Facebook blog, titled 'Rafale - Lies, Shortlived lies and now further lies?'. On the Congress claiming 'ambiguity' in the Supreme Court judgment that said the deal has been examined by the CAG and is now before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Jaitley said defence transactions go to the CAG for an audit review, which then are referred to the PAC. "This was factually and accurately stated by the Government before the Court. The audit review of Rafale is pending before the CAG. All facts are shared with it. When its report is out, it will go to the PAC. Notwithstanding this factually correct statement made, if an ambiguity has emerged in the Court Order, the correct course is for anyone to apply / mention before the Court and have it corrected," he said. The correct picture has been presented to the court and it must now be left to the wisdom of the court to state at which stage the CAG review is pending. "The CAG review is not relevant to the final findings on procedure, pricing and offset suppliers. But bad losers never accept the truth. Having failed in multiple lies they have now started an innuendo about the Judgement," he said. Jaitley said Congress, having failed in their initial falsehood, is now "manufacturing further lies about the Judgement." "On facts it lied. The judgement of the Supreme Court conclusively establishes the Congress party's vulnerabilities in a discussion on defence transactions. "It will be a great opportunity to remind the nation of the legacy of the Congress Party and its defence acquisitions - a great opportunity indeed for some of us to speak," he wrote. The finance minister, who had alongside the defence minister led a spirited counter-attack against the Congress on Friday post the Supreme Court ruling, said the opponents of the Rafale deal had a choice of forum to present their side, and they chose the Supreme Court. "The Court conducts a judicial review, it is a non-partisan, independent and a fair Constitutional authority. The Court's verdict is final. It can't be reviewed by anyone except by the Court itself," he said. Ruling out setting up a JPC to go into the deal, Jaitley said, "How can a Parliamentary Committee go into the correctness or otherwise to what the Court has said. Is a Committee of Politicians both legally and in terms of human resources capable of reviewing issues already decided by the Supreme Court?" "On areas such as procedure, offset suppliers and pricing, can a Parliamentary Committee take a different view of what the Court has said?," he said, asking if a contract be breached, nation's security be compromised and the pricing data be made available to Parliament or its panel. He asked what was the experience of JPC when it took up the Bofors deal -- the only occasion when it investigated a defence transaction. "The B. Shankaranand Committee in 1987-88 went into the Bofors transaction. Since Parliamentarians are always split on party lines, it came out with a finding that no kickbacks were paid and the monies paid to the middlemen were 'winding up' charges. "At that time only Win Chaddha appeared to be a middlemen. But then others including Ottavio Quattrocchi, whose bank accounts got detected subsequently, were not entitled to any winding up charges," he wrote. Rafale, he said, is a combat aircraft with its weaponry required to improve the strike ability of the Indian Air Force. "As a political opponent Rahul Gandhi's opposition to the deal was a desperate attempt. It was the UPA Government which had shortlisted the Rafale as it was technically the best and the cheapest," he said. Jaitley also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an inter-governmental agreement, struck a deal with the French government to further improve the terms and conditions, including the prices on which the UPA had agreed. He claimed Gandhi's opposition was because Modi has run the cleanest ever government in recent Indian history. "Secondly, Rahul Gandhi has the burden of a stigmatised legacy which was tainted by Bofors. He was desperately trying to bring an 'immoral equivalence' between Rafale and Bofors. But Rafale did not have middlemen, no kickbacks and obviously no Ottavio Quattrocchi," he said. "Thirdly, with international cooperation and Governmental cooperation, scamsters of the UPA Government are now being extradited into India. There is obviously a scare of who will talk how much," he said. PTI ANZ ABM 12161654

Arun Jaitley rules out setting up JPC on Rafale deal

A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale pricing never reached Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Centre on Saturday filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking ''correction'' in a paragraph in its judgement on Rafale fighter jet deal in which a reference has been made about the CAG&nbsp;report and PAC, reported news agency PTI.

A law officer said that the application has been filed to convey to the court that there has been some misinterpretation on the issue of the documents placed in a sealed cover relating to the CAG and PAC, the report added.

In the judgement on Friday, the apex court had noted that the pricing details have been shared with CAG, and the report of the CAG has been examined by the PAC.

The issue of CAG and PAC was mentioned in para 25 of the judgement of the top court which had held that there were no irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France.

The judgement had said that the material placed before it shows that the Centre did not disclose in Parliament the pricing details of the Rafale fighter jet, but revealed it to the Comptroller and Auditor General.&nbsp;

After the SC verdict on Friday, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who chairs the PAC, had said no such report had come to him.&nbsp;

Swaraj Abhiyan's founder member and one of the petitioners in the case Prashant Bhushan too&nbsp;expressed shock that the judgement on the deal between India and France was based on "false information" about CAG report.

The Supreme Court Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

The court rejected the pleas which sought lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).&nbsp;

A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale pricing never reached Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Centre on Saturday filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking ''correction'' in a paragraph in its judgement on Rafale fighter jet deal in which a reference has been made about the CAG report and PAC, reported news agency PTI.

A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale pricing never reached Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Centre on Saturday filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking ''correction'' in a paragraph in its judgement on Rafale fighter jet deal in which a reference has been made about the CAG report and PAC, reported news agency PTI. A law officer said that the application has been filed to convey to the court that there has been some misinterpretation on the issue of the documents placed in a sealed cover relating to the CAG and PAC, the report added. In the judgement on Friday, the apex court had noted that the pricing details have been shared with CAG, and the report of the CAG has been examined by the PAC. The issue of CAG and PAC was mentioned in para 25 of the judgement of the top court which had held that there were no irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France. The judgement had said that the material placed before it shows that the Centre did not disclose in Parliament the pricing details of the Rafale fighter jet, but revealed it to the Comptroller and Auditor General. After the SC verdict on Friday, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who chairs the PAC, had said no such report had come to him. Swaraj Abhiyan's founder member and one of the petitioners in the case Prashant Bhushan too expressed shock that the judgement on the deal between India and France was based on "false information" about CAG report. The Supreme Court Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract. The court rejected the pleas which sought lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).

Government moves SC seeking 'correction' in Rafale judgement

The Congress said Saturday the Supreme Court, which gave the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-probe-needed-in-rafale-fighter-jet-deal-rules-supreme-court-183957">government relief in the Rafale jet case</a>, has not gone into the pricing and technical aspects of the aircraft and it is only a joint parliamentary committee that can probe whether there was any irregularity in the deal.

At a press conference, Congress leader Kapil Sibal pointed to a part of Friday's judgment in which the Supreme Court said the material placed before it shows the Centre did not disclose in Parliament the pricing details of the fighter jet but revealed it to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The apex court also said the CAG report was even examined by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

Reacting to this, Sibal said Mallikarjun Kharge, the chairman of PAC, has said he never received any such report on Rafale jet.

"Who is responsible for this? Who said this? It was the government who said this. How did the attorney general pass the affidavit?" he said.

He also rebuked the government for not reading its own affidavits.

"This is a very serious matter and there should be an action in this case because the message among people is that CAG has cleared and Parliament has seen the deal, which is wrong," he said.

Sibal said the court has neither gone into pricing nor into the technical aspects of the deal.

"Then how can they say that the Supreme Court has given a clean chit to the government. If you (the government) have not given the evidence if the cross-examination has not happened then who gave you a clean chit. Only a JPC, which will be formed sooner or later, can probe this," he said.

Earlier Saturday, Kharge said he will request all members of the panel to summon the attorney general and the CAG to ask them when was the public auditor's report tabled in Parliament.

The Congress leader accused the government of "misleading" the court by presenting wrong information about the CAG report on the Rafale deal and demanded that the government should apologise for it.

In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract.&nbsp;

The Congress said Saturday the Supreme Court, which gave the government relief in the Rafale jet case, has not gone into the pricing and technical aspects of the aircraft and it is only a joint parliamentary committee that can probe whether there was any irregularity in the deal.

The Congress said Saturday the Supreme Court, which gave the government relief in the Rafale jet case, has not gone into the pricing and technical aspects of the aircraft and it is only a joint parliamentary committee that can probe whether there was any irregularity in the deal. At a press conference, Congress leader Kapil Sibal pointed to a part of Friday's judgment in which the Supreme Court said the material placed before it shows the Centre did not disclose in Parliament the pricing details of the fighter jet but revealed it to the Comptroller and Auditor General. The apex court also said the CAG report was even examined by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. Reacting to this, Sibal said Mallikarjun Kharge, the chairman of PAC, has said he never received any such report on Rafale jet. "Who is responsible for this? Who said this? It was the government who said this. How did the attorney general pass the affidavit?" he said. He also rebuked the government for not reading its own affidavits. "This is a very serious matter and there should be an action in this case because the message among people is that CAG has cleared and Parliament has seen the deal, which is wrong," he said. Sibal said the court has neither gone into pricing nor into the technical aspects of the deal. "Then how can they say that the Supreme Court has given a clean chit to the government. If you (the government) have not given the evidence if the cross-examination has not happened then who gave you a clean chit. Only a JPC, which will be formed sooner or later, can probe this," he said. Earlier Saturday, Kharge said he will request all members of the panel to summon the attorney general and the CAG to ask them when was the public auditor's report tabled in Parliament. The Congress leader accused the government of "misleading" the court by presenting wrong information about the CAG report on the Rafale deal and demanded that the government should apologise for it. In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making the process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

Supreme Court didn't go into pricing, technical aspects of Rafale; only JPC can probe deal: Congress

Wion Chat: Apex court verdict on Rafale deal

The treasury benches on Friday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-probe-needed-in-rafale-fighter-jet-deal-rules-supreme-court-183957">mounted a counter-offensive</a> on the opposition on the Rafale issue in Lok Sabha after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the deal, with the government seeking an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

As soon as the Question Hour was taken up, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/matter-was-crystal-clear-from-the-beginning-rajnath-singh-on-rafale-jets-deal-verdict-183966">opposition members trooped</a> into the Well carrying placards on various issues, including alleged scam in Rafale deal.

But BJP members stood up and started raising slogans against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

Parliamentary affairs minister Narendra Singh Tomar said following the Supreme Court verdict, Rahul Gandhi should apologise.

Amid loud sloganeering, around 11.10 am(IST), Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.

The Supreme Court on Friday gave a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

The apex court said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal.&nbsp;

"There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale deal," the court said while delivering the verdict.

The top court dismissed all petitions related to the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The treasury benches on Friday mounted a counter-offensive on the opposition on the Rafale issue in Lok Sabha after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the deal, with the government seeking an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

The treasury benches on Friday mounted a counter-offensive on the opposition on the Rafale issue in Lok Sabha after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the deal, with the government seeking an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. As soon as the Question Hour was taken up, opposition members trooped into the Well carrying placards on various issues, including alleged scam in Rafale deal. But BJP members stood up and started raising slogans against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Parliamentary affairs minister Narendra Singh Tomar said following the Supreme Court verdict, Rahul Gandhi should apologise. Amid loud sloganeering, around 11.10 am(IST), Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon. The Supreme Court on Friday gave a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The apex court said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal. "There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale deal," the court said while delivering the verdict. The top court dismissed all petitions related to the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Ruckus in Lok Sabha over Rafale deal; Parliamentary affairs minister Tomar seeks apology from Rahul Gandhi

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/matter-was-crystal-clear-from-the-beginning-rajnath-singh-on-rafale-jets-deal-verdict-183966">BJP</a> Friday demanded an apology from the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for levying allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale fighter jet deal, in which the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-probe-needed-in-rafale-fighter-jet-deal-rules-supreme-court-183957">Supreme Court has given the government a clean chit</a>.

The apex court dismissed all the petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar defense deal.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-judgement-totally-wrong-says-petitioner-prashant-bhushan-on-rafale-verdict-183979">Our campaign certainly won't drop, says petitioner Prashant Bhushan on Rafale verdict</a>

Welcoming the judgement, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Every deal is not Bofors deal."&nbsp;

"It is the culture and tradition of Congress and its top leadership to mint money from such deals on the cost of country's national security," he said.

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should apologise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making false allegations against him and questioning his credibility, he added.&nbsp;

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said there is a necessity for fighter aircraft and the country cannot remain without the jets.

The CJI, who read out the judgement for the three-judge bench, said no reasons were found to interfere in the procurement process for the fighter jets.

The verdict was pronounced on a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into deal.

The BJP Friday demanded an apology from the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for levying allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale fighter jet deal, in which the Supreme Court has given the government a clean chit.

The BJP Friday demanded an apology from the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for levying allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale fighter jet deal, in which the Supreme Court has given the government a clean chit. The apex court dismissed all the petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar defense deal. Also read: Our campaign certainly won't drop, says petitioner Prashant Bhushan on Rafale verdict Welcoming the judgement, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Every deal is not Bofors deal." "It is the culture and tradition of Congress and its top leadership to mint money from such deals on the cost of country's national security," he said. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should apologise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making false allegations against him and questioning his credibility, he added. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said there is a necessity for fighter aircraft and the country cannot remain without the jets. The CJI, who read out the judgement for the three-judge bench, said no reasons were found to interfere in the procurement process for the fighter jets. The verdict was pronounced on a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into deal.

Rafale deal verdict: BJP demands apology to PM Modi from Congress and Rahul Gandhi

One of the main petitioners of Rafale jet deal petition in Supreme Court, Prashant Bhusan on Friday called the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-probe-needed-in-rafale-fighter-jet-deal-rules-supreme-court-183957">verdict</a> "totally wrong" and told media that they may file a review petition.

"In our opinion, the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition," Prashant Bhushan said.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Prashant Bhushan: In our opinion the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafaledeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafaledeal</a> <a href="https://t.co/djJheTLAhr">https://t.co/djJheTLAhr</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1073453506584080385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed all petitions pertaining to multi-million dollar Rafale fighter jets deal saying that they are satisfied that "there is no occasion to doubt the process."

Meanwhile, home minister Rajnath Singh while hailing the court verdict said that "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/matter-was-crystal-clear-from-the-beginning-rajnath-singh-on-rafale-jets-deal-verdict-183966">the matter was crystal clear from the beginning</a>".&nbsp;

"We have been saying that the allegations levelled by Congress were baseless and to gain political mileage," Rajnasth Singh added.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph said that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required.

India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition.

Former union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had also filed a joint petition in the apex court.

Last month, the Centre had submitted the pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets to the top court.

The Centre in its submission had said that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval was secured before the deal was inked with France. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. 
&nbsp;

One of the main petitioners of Rafale jet deal petition in Supreme Court, Prashant Bhusan on Friday called the verdict "totally wrong" and told media that they may file a review petition.

One of the main petitioners of Rafale jet deal petition in Supreme Court, Prashant Bhusan on Friday called the verdict "totally wrong" and told media that they may file a review petition. "In our opinion, the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition," Prashant Bhushan said. Prashant Bhushan: In our opinion the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition #Rafaledeal https://t.co/djJheTLAhr — ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2018 × The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed all petitions pertaining to multi-million dollar Rafale fighter jets deal saying that they are satisfied that "there is no occasion to doubt the process." Meanwhile, home minister Rajnath Singh while hailing the court verdict said that "the matter was crystal clear from the beginning". "We have been saying that the allegations levelled by Congress were baseless and to gain political mileage," Rajnasth Singh added. A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph said that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition. Former union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had also filed a joint petition in the apex court. Last month, the Centre had submitted the pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets to the top court. The Centre in its submission had said that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval was secured before the deal was inked with France. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

Our campaign certainly won't drop, says petitioner Prashant Bhushan on Rafale verdict

A three-judge <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/matter-was-crystal-clear-from-the-beginning-rajnath-singh-on-rafale-jets-deal-verdict-183966">Supreme Court bench today </a>said that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required.

Chief Justice of India(CJI) Ranjan Gogoi&nbsp;said the need and quality control of the&nbsp;Rafale deal wasn't in question. The top court ruled out probe into the pricing&nbsp;details of the deal.

"There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale deal," the court said while delivering the verdict.

"We can't compel the government to purchase 126 aircrafts and its not proper for the court to examine each aspect of this case. It isn't a job of the court to compare pricing details," it said, adding,"we don't find substantial matter to interfere with the issue of procurement, pricing and offset partner in Rafale jet deal."&nbsp;

The top court dismissed all petitions pertaining to the Rafale fighter jet&nbsp;deal.

"Perception of individuals can't be the basis for roving inquiry in sensitive issue of defence procurement," the apex court added.&nbsp;

Last month, the Centre <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-macron-to-meet-on-g20-sidelines-amidst-rafale-row-180641">had submitted the pricing</a> details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets to the top court.

The Centre in its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/french-ngo-sherpa-files-complaints-seeks-clarification-on-conditions-of-rafale-deal-179090">submission had said</a> that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval was secured before the deal was inked with France. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

The bench comprises of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.

India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition.

Former union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had also filed a joint petition in the apex court.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench today said that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required. Chief Justice of India(CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said the need and quality control of the Rafale deal wasn't in question.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench today said that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required. Chief Justice of India(CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said the need and quality control of the Rafale deal wasn't in question. The top court ruled out probe into the pricing details of the deal. "There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale deal," the court said while delivering the verdict. "We can't compel the government to purchase 126 aircrafts and its not proper for the court to examine each aspect of this case. It isn't a job of the court to compare pricing details," it said, adding,"we don't find substantial matter to interfere with the issue of procurement, pricing and offset partner in Rafale jet deal." The top court dismissed all petitions pertaining to the Rafale fighter jet deal. "Perception of individuals can't be the basis for roving inquiry in sensitive issue of defence procurement," the apex court added. Last month, the Centre had submitted the pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets to the top court. The Centre in its submission had said that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval was secured before the deal was inked with France. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. The bench comprises of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition. Former union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had also filed a joint petition in the apex court.

No probe needed in Rafale fighter jet deal, rules Supreme Court

Dassault Aviation, maker of Rafale fighter jets, on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal and said it's dedicated to establishing successfully Make in India as promoted by PM Modi.

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Dassault Aviation: Dassault Aviation welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of India rendered today dismissing all petitions filed on the Rafale Contract signed on 23rd September 2016 in the frame of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France.
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''Dassault Aviation welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of India today dismissing all petitions filed on the Rafale Contract signed on 23rd September 2016 in the frame of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France,'' the statement read.&nbsp;

Dassault Aviation is dedicated to establishing successfully Make in India as promoted by PM Modi, the statement said and added that it will ensure successful production in India through Dassault Reliance Joint Venture in Nagpur as well as through a full-fledged supply chain network.

Quoting Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier, the company said "The deal is absolutely clean in accordance with Indian laws and regulations, as I have stated before, and the first Falcon part is currently under delivery out of our facility in Nagpur”.&nbsp;

Dassault Aviation, maker of Rafale fighter jets, on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal and said it's dedicated to establishing successfully Make in India as promoted by PM Modi.

Dassault Aviation, maker of Rafale fighter jets, on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal and said it's dedicated to establishing successfully Make in India as promoted by PM Modi. Dassault Aviation: Dassault Aviation welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of India rendered today dismissing all petitions filed on the Rafale Contract signed on 23rd September 2016 in the frame of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France. — ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2018 × ''Dassault Aviation welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of India today dismissing all petitions filed on the Rafale Contract signed on 23rd September 2016 in the frame of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France,'' the statement read. Dassault Aviation is dedicated to establishing successfully Make in India as promoted by PM Modi, the statement said and added that it will ensure successful production in India through Dassault Reliance Joint Venture in Nagpur as well as through a full-fledged supply chain network. Quoting Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier, the company said "The deal is absolutely clean in accordance with Indian laws and regulations, as I have stated before, and the first Falcon part is currently under delivery out of our facility in Nagpur”.

Dassault Aviation welcomes Supreme Court judgement on Rafale deal

Hours after Supreme Court ruled out a probe into the pricing details of the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a hurriedly organised press conference criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said Why there was no Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal.

Accusing the government of renogitiating the deal to help a private firm, the Congress president said and added Rafale jets are being procured at an inflated rate. &nbsp;

''Our basic question is how the price of each aircraft has gone up to Rs 1,600 crore from Rs 526 crore,'' he said.

''How can it be possible that the foundation of SC judgement saying that pricing has been discussed in CAG report.PAC chairman (M Kharge) is sitting here, how come he never saw it. No one in PAC ever saw it. But Supreme Court saw it,'' he said. &nbsp;

Rahul asked the government to disclose the CAG report on the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

In its judgement, SC says CAG report on Rafale deal was given to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. But PAC has not received report, he said.

''Govt will have to explain to us where is the CAG report. Show it to PAC chairman Kharge ji. Maybe a different PAC is running parallelly, maybe in a different Parliament, maybe in the Parliament of France. It's possible Modi ji has constituted his own PAC in PMO,'' Rahul charged.

Alleging commercial favouritism in the deal, he said there was no secrecy code as claimed by the government.&nbsp;

Hours after Supreme Court ruled out a probe into the pricing details of the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a hurriedly organised press conference criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said Why there was no Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal.

Hours after Supreme Court ruled out a probe into the pricing details of the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a hurriedly organised press conference criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said Why there was no Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal. Accusing the government of renogitiating the deal to help a private firm, the Congress president said and added Rafale jets are being procured at an inflated rate. ''Our basic question is how the price of each aircraft has gone up to Rs 1,600 crore from Rs 526 crore,'' he said. ''How can it be possible that the foundation of SC judgement saying that pricing has been discussed in CAG report.PAC chairman (M Kharge) is sitting here, how come he never saw it. No one in PAC ever saw it. But Supreme Court saw it,'' he said. Rahul asked the government to disclose the CAG report on the Rafale deal. In its judgement, SC says CAG report on Rafale deal was given to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. But PAC has not received report, he said. ''Govt will have to explain to us where is the CAG report. Show it to PAC chairman Kharge ji. Maybe a different PAC is running parallelly, maybe in a different Parliament, maybe in the Parliament of France. It's possible Modi ji has constituted his own PAC in PMO,'' Rahul charged. Alleging commercial favouritism in the deal, he said there was no secrecy code as claimed by the government.

Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi reiterates demand for JPC probe despite SC's refusal to intervene

The Rafale verdict by the Supreme Court of India is a big blow to the Opposition and the Congress Party. The Supreme Court’s decision to throw off the petitions has taken the sting of the Rafale campaign which was kicked off by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He was able to cast a seed of doubt in the electorate’s mind on the issue of purchase. Though Rafale was never an issue in the Hindi heartland elections where Congress won but it did put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire Cabinet on the edge. It made BJP defensive and the party was seen defending every jibe thrown by the Congress. BJP which made the anti-corruption campaign as its political shield for the first time became politically vulnerable.&nbsp;

It made it difficult for them to attack Congress in the same breath. Congress felt a Bofors moment in the case until the matter went to the court where hara-kiri was committed.

Today, Congress is adamant that it wants a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the issue and the court’s decision to not to intervene in the matter does not mean that corruption has not taken place.&nbsp;

The decision to not to evaluate a case on a key ground is not akin to corruption not taking place, will be very difficult for the entire Opposition to explain to the voters.

It will have no political resonance. The fact that the matter went to the judiciary for political resolution was the biggest undoing of an issue whose ultimate intention was to check Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha campaign. The demand of the Congress will be met by skepticism and BJP will never agree for a JPC; it will treat the Supreme Court’s verdict as a clean chit.

SC’s decision has finished the doubt which got entrenched in the political discourse. In fact, the heat would be on Rahul Gandhi who will have to come out with a cogent explanation. It is, for this reason, Rafale will never become a solid and credible electoral issue for Congress again. On top of it, Congress may come across as insincere when it comes to defence and national interest. Chowkidar Chor Hai may remain a catchy line but would lack the punch which came with it.

It also tells us the peril of running to the court again and again on political issues. In politics, issues have to be fought on the ground. When courts become means to an end&nbsp;for a swift political resolution to affect public opinion, political parties walk into traps.&nbsp;

A judgment comes with its own wisdom. The Rafale issue is one such example of it.

Even Bofors died a death in the court of law only after it was milked politically by former Prime Minister VP Singh. It could never become an electoral issue again. The same is the case with Babri Masjid. It helped BJP one time but did not give the party a second chance to consolidated Hindu vote till Narendra Modi milked anti-corruption campaign to BJP’s advantage.

It also puts Congress in a bind. It can neither disown the charge nor afford to waste further time on it. They will have to carry the Rafale issue like a dud weapon in its political armour. It is a great respite to BJP after disastrous Assembly election results. It gives Prime Minister Modi enough political elbow room to attack Congress much more ferociously.&nbsp;

Nothing is certain and permanent in politics but today’s decision creates a new challenge for the Congress Party to corner Narendra Modi. Sticking to small business, agrarian distress and farmers issue may serve Congress party much better in Lok Sabha elections. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

The Rafale verdict by the Supreme Court of India is a big blow to the Opposition and the Congress Party. The Supreme Court’s decision to throw off the petitions has taken the sting of the Rafale campaign which was kicked off by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The Rafale verdict by the Supreme Court of India is a big blow to the Opposition and the Congress Party. The Supreme Court’s decision to throw off the petitions has taken the sting of the Rafale campaign which was kicked off by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He was able to cast a seed of doubt in the electorate’s mind on the issue of purchase. Though Rafale was never an issue in the Hindi heartland elections where Congress won but it did put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire Cabinet on the edge. It made BJP defensive and the party was seen defending every jibe thrown by the Congress. BJP which made the anti-corruption campaign as its political shield for the first time became politically vulnerable. It made it difficult for them to attack Congress in the same breath. Congress felt a Bofors moment in the case until the matter went to the court where hara-kiri was committed. Today, Congress is adamant that it wants a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the issue and the court’s decision to not to intervene in the matter does not mean that corruption has not taken place. The decision to not to evaluate a case on a key ground is not akin to corruption not taking place, will be very difficult for the entire Opposition to explain to the voters. It will have no political resonance. The fact that the matter went to the judiciary for political resolution was the biggest undoing of an issue whose ultimate intention was to check Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha campaign. The demand of the Congress will be met by skepticism and BJP will never agree for a JPC; it will treat the Supreme Court’s verdict as a clean chit. SC’s decision has finished the doubt which got entrenched in the political discourse. In fact, the heat would be on Rahul Gandhi who will have to come out with a cogent explanation. It is, for this reason, Rafale will never become a solid and credible electoral issue for Congress again. On top of it, Congress may come across as insincere when it comes to defence and national interest. Chowkidar Chor Hai may remain a catchy line but would lack the punch which came with it. It also tells us the peril of running to the court again and again on political issues. In politics, issues have to be fought on the ground. When courts become means to an end for a swift political resolution to affect public opinion, political parties walk into traps. A judgment comes with its own wisdom. The Rafale issue is one such example of it. Even Bofors died a death in the court of law only after it was milked politically by former Prime Minister VP Singh. It could never become an electoral issue again. The same is the case with Babri Masjid. It helped BJP one time but did not give the party a second chance to consolidated Hindu vote till Narendra Modi milked anti-corruption campaign to BJP’s advantage. It also puts Congress in a bind. It can neither disown the charge nor afford to waste further time on it. They will have to carry the Rafale issue like a dud weapon in its political armour. It is a great respite to BJP after disastrous Assembly election results. It gives Prime Minister Modi enough political elbow room to attack Congress much more ferociously. Nothing is certain and permanent in politics but today’s decision creates a new challenge for the Congress Party to corner Narendra Modi. Sticking to small business, agrarian distress and farmers issue may serve Congress party much better in Lok Sabha elections. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Rafale is a dud bomb now

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Friday welcomed Supreme Court's order on the Rafale deal saying that the "truth has won". He also slammed Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi saying that people were being misled by unfortunately the country's oldest party.

"Its a slap on politics of lies," Shah added.

Supreme Court today dismissed batch of petitions&nbsp;seeking a probe into the multi-million dollar rafale deal. The apex court in its verdict&nbsp;said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-judgement-totally-wrong-says-petitioner-prashant-bhushan-on-rafale-verdict-183979">Our campaign certainly won't drop, says petitioner Prashant Bhushan on Rafale verdict</a>

Lashing at Gandhi scion, Amit Shah said that Supreme Court judgment exposes the "Rahul's politics of lies". He also asked Gandhi to reveal his&nbsp;source of information on basis of which he made the allegations on Rafale deal.

"Rahul Gandhi should apologise to people of the country and its soldiers," Amit Shah added.

Shah also said that&nbsp;"All thieves gathered to call 'chowkidar'&nbsp;(watchman) a thief, but the country never believed it".

The 54-year-old leader also challenged Congress to debate on&nbsp;Rafale&nbsp;in parliament.&nbsp;

"We are ready for Rafale discussion in Parliament, challenge Congress to come and debate on the issue the on the floor of the house," Shah said.

A three-judge&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/matter-was-crystal-clear-from-the-beginning-rajnath-singh-on-rafale-jets-deal-verdict-183966">Supreme Court bench </a>comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi,&nbsp;Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph today ruled&nbsp;that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required.

Reacting to the verdict, one of the main petitioners, Prashant Bhushan&nbsp;said that the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-judgement-totally-wrong-says-petitioner-prashant-bhushan-on-rafale-verdict-183979">campaign certainly won't drop</a>&nbsp;and they may file a review petition.

"In our opinion, the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition."

Earlier in the day Shah in a series of tweets&nbsp;has also&nbsp;said that the court didn't find anything wrong with the process nor did it find any commercial favouritism in the deal. "On the contrary, the SC held that government had no role in selecting offset partners and found no merit in the demand for a probe based on a mere perception of individuals," he said.&nbsp;

"Truth always triumphs! Court's judgment on the Rafale deal exposes the campaign of misinformation spearheaded by Congress President for political gains," he added on Twitter.&nbsp;

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Truth always triumphs! Court’s judgment on the Rafale deal exposes the campaign of misinformation spearheaded by Congress President for political gains. The court didn’t find anything wrong with the process nor did it find any commercial favouritism in the deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCNailsRaGaLies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCNailsRaGaLies</a>
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1073465860692549633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On the contrary SC held that govt had no role in selecting offset partners &amp; found no merit in the demand for a probe based on mere perception of individuals. It therefore raises obvious questions on the motive of those working to discredit the deal, which is important for India.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1073465885355061248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The BJP in a statement after the verdict has demanded an apology from the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for levying false allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
&nbsp;

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Friday welcomed Supreme Court's order on the Rafale deal saying that the "truth has won". He also slammed Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi saying that people were being misled by unfortunately the country's oldest party.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Friday welcomed Supreme Court's order on the Rafale deal saying that the "truth has won". He also slammed Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi saying that people were being misled by unfortunately the country's oldest party. "Its a slap on politics of lies," Shah added. Supreme Court today dismissed batch of petitions seeking a probe into the multi-million dollar rafale deal. The apex court in its verdict said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France. Also read: Our campaign certainly won't drop, says petitioner Prashant Bhushan on Rafale verdict Lashing at Gandhi scion, Amit Shah said that Supreme Court judgment exposes the "Rahul's politics of lies". He also asked Gandhi to reveal his source of information on basis of which he made the allegations on Rafale deal. "Rahul Gandhi should apologise to people of the country and its soldiers," Amit Shah added. Shah also said that "All thieves gathered to call 'chowkidar' (watchman) a thief, but the country never believed it". The 54-year-old leader also challenged Congress to debate on Rafale in parliament. "We are ready for Rafale discussion in Parliament, challenge Congress to come and debate on the issue the on the floor of the house," Shah said. A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph today ruled that detailed scrutiny of the Rafale fighter jet deal was not required. Reacting to the verdict, one of the main petitioners, Prashant Bhushan said that the campaign certainly won't drop and they may file a review petition. "In our opinion, the Supreme Court judgement is totally wrong, the campaign will certainly not drop and we will decide if we will file a review petition." Earlier in the day Shah in a series of tweets has also said that the court didn't find anything wrong with the process nor did it find any commercial favouritism in the deal. "On the contrary, the SC held that government had no role in selecting offset partners and found no merit in the demand for a probe based on a mere perception of individuals," he said. "Truth always triumphs! Court's judgment on the Rafale deal exposes the campaign of misinformation spearheaded by Congress President for political gains," he added on Twitter. Truth always triumphs! Court’s judgment on the Rafale deal exposes the campaign of misinformation spearheaded by Congress President for political gains. The court didn’t find anything wrong with the process nor did it find any commercial favouritism in the deal. #SCNailsRaGaLies — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 14, 2018 × On the contrary SC held that govt had no role in selecting offset partners & found no merit in the demand for a probe based on mere perception of individuals. It therefore raises obvious questions on the motive of those working to discredit the deal, which is important for India. — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 14, 2018 × The BJP in a statement after the verdict has demanded an apology from the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for levying false allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Amit Shah slams Rahul Gandhi, says Rafale deal verdict is slap on politics of lies

The two Houses of Parliament were Wednesday adjourned without transacting much business as the opposition staged protest on a variety of issues, including Rafale jet deal, Ram temple and Cauvery river water.

Wednesday was the second day of the Winter session. On the first day on Tuesday, both Houses were adjourned after paying obituary to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and union minister Ananth Kumar.

In the Rajya Sabha, the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill was passed amid slogan shouting by opposition members.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day just after noon following protests by opposition members on various issues including the Rafale deal, construction of Ram Temple and Cauvery river water.

Immediately after the House reconvened at noon, Congress, Shiv Sena, TDP and AIADMK members trooped into the well with placards and started shouting slogans in support of their demands.

Similar scenes were earlier witnessed when Question Hour began after obituary references to former MPs.

Congress members were demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal while Shiv Sena MPs staged protests demanding immediate construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Members belonging to the AIADMK raised slogans demanding justice for Tamil Nadu farmers living along the Cauvery delta and TDP members demanded a railway zone at Vishkhapatnam.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to pacify members but in vain.

As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice in the pre-lunch period and for the day around 2.15 pm as the two main political parties of Tamil Nadu -- the AIADMK and DMK -- staged protests on the Cauvery river issue.

The Upper House was first adjourned till noon soon after laying of papers and then again till 2 PM soon after the Question Hour started at 12 pm.

Soon after ministers laid listed papers on the table of the House, AIADMK members trooped into the Well carrying a banner that read 'protect the lives of Cauvery delta farmers'.

DMK members too entered the Well raising issues related to the Cauvery river.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu urged them to return to their seats. He said notices have been received from several parties for discussion on issues of urgent importance.

The Chairman said though he has not allowed the issues to be raised under Rule 267 (suspension of business to take up a matter), all issues would be taken up for discussion.

As the two parties continued to protest, Naidu said only on Tuesday people in some states have shown their "confidence in democracy" and asked members to respect sentiments of the people.

"I am not going to be dictated in this way (protest)," Naidu said.

With protesting members not relenting, Naidu adjourned the House till noon.

When the House met at 12, AIADMK members trooped into the well and raised protests carrying placards.

"If the House wants to function and discuss issues of public interest, we will do it. If you don't want, why waste time of people....So many issues are there," Naidu told the House.

The protests continued when the House met again at 2.00 PM.

Amid noisy scenes, The National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed.

The proposed amendments entail fixing the term of the Chairperson of the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism and other Disabilities.

Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said a Chairperson could not be appointed even after several attempts since 2012 as a suitable candidate meeting the stringent selection criteria could not be found.

Gehlot said the amendments will ease the procedure related to the appointment of a Chairperson.

"The Chairperson will have a three-year term now and the selection process for his successor will be initiated six months before his tenure ends and completed before he retires," said the minister.

As the protests continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Goel said: "This Bill is for the disabled and there is a consensus among all parties. I am requesting all parties to pass it".

The Bill was passed in the Upper House shortly before the House adjourned for the day.

The two Houses of Parliament were Wednesday adjourned without transacting much business as the opposition staged protest on a variety of issues, including Rafale jet deal, Ram temple and Cauvery river water.

The two Houses of Parliament were Wednesday adjourned without transacting much business as the opposition staged protest on a variety of issues, including Rafale jet deal, Ram temple and Cauvery river water. Wednesday was the second day of the Winter session. On the first day on Tuesday, both Houses were adjourned after paying obituary to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and union minister Ananth Kumar. In the Rajya Sabha, the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill was passed amid slogan shouting by opposition members. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day just after noon following protests by opposition members on various issues including the Rafale deal, construction of Ram Temple and Cauvery river water. Immediately after the House reconvened at noon, Congress, Shiv Sena, TDP and AIADMK members trooped into the well with placards and started shouting slogans in support of their demands. Similar scenes were earlier witnessed when Question Hour began after obituary references to former MPs. Congress members were demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal while Shiv Sena MPs staged protests demanding immediate construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Members belonging to the AIADMK raised slogans demanding justice for Tamil Nadu farmers living along the Cauvery delta and TDP members demanded a railway zone at Vishkhapatnam. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to pacify members but in vain. As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice in the pre-lunch period and for the day around 2.15 pm as the two main political parties of Tamil Nadu -- the AIADMK and DMK -- staged protests on the Cauvery river issue. The Upper House was first adjourned till noon soon after laying of papers and then again till 2 PM soon after the Question Hour started at 12 pm. Soon after ministers laid listed papers on the table of the House, AIADMK members trooped into the Well carrying a banner that read 'protect the lives of Cauvery delta farmers'. DMK members too entered the Well raising issues related to the Cauvery river. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu urged them to return to their seats. He said notices have been received from several parties for discussion on issues of urgent importance. The Chairman said though he has not allowed the issues to be raised under Rule 267 (suspension of business to take up a matter), all issues would be taken up for discussion. As the two parties continued to protest, Naidu said only on Tuesday people in some states have shown their "confidence in democracy" and asked members to respect sentiments of the people. "I am not going to be dictated in this way (protest)," Naidu said. With protesting members not relenting, Naidu adjourned the House till noon. When the House met at 12, AIADMK members trooped into the well and raised protests carrying placards. "If the House wants to function and discuss issues of public interest, we will do it. If you don't want, why waste time of people....So many issues are there," Naidu told the House. The protests continued when the House met again at 2.00 PM. Amid noisy scenes, The National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed. The proposed amendments entail fixing the term of the Chairperson of the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism and other Disabilities. Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said a Chairperson could not be appointed even after several attempts since 2012 as a suitable candidate meeting the stringent selection criteria could not be found. Gehlot said the amendments will ease the procedure related to the appointment of a Chairperson. "The Chairperson will have a three-year term now and the selection process for his successor will be initiated six months before his tenure ends and completed before he retires," said the minister. As the protests continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Goel said: "This Bill is for the disabled and there is a consensus among all parties. I am requesting all parties to pass it". The Bill was passed in the Upper House shortly before the House adjourned for the day.

Protests over Rafale, Cauvery; both Houses adjourned for the day

The Supreme Court will pronounce its&nbsp;verdict on Friday on pleas for lodging FIR and probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, reported news agency PTI.

The Supreme Court earlier in November heard a bunch of pleas seeking court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The petitioners include former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, and Bhushan.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas on November 14.

Advocate M L Sharma was the first petitioner in the case. Later, another lawyer Vineet Dhanda had moved the apex court with the plea for court-monitored probe into the deal.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh has also filed a petition against the fighter jet deal.

After the three petitions were filed, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie along with activist advocate Prashant Bhushan had moved the apex court with a plea for a direction to the CBI to register FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal.

The Centre has defended the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets and opposed public disclosure of the pricing details.

Rafale deal is a defence agreement signed between the governments of India and France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as a part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

Indian Air Force had advanced a proposal to buy 126 fighter aircraft in August 2007 and floated a tender. Following this, an invitation was sent to various aviation companies to participate in the bidding process.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Friday on pleas for lodging FIR and probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, reported news agency PTI.

The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Friday on pleas for lodging FIR and probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, reported news agency PTI. The Supreme Court earlier in November heard a bunch of pleas seeking court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The petitioners include former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, and Bhushan. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas on November 14. Advocate M L Sharma was the first petitioner in the case. Later, another lawyer Vineet Dhanda had moved the apex court with the plea for court-monitored probe into the deal. AAP leader Sanjay Singh has also filed a petition against the fighter jet deal. After the three petitions were filed, former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie along with activist advocate Prashant Bhushan had moved the apex court with a plea for a direction to the CBI to register FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal. The Centre has defended the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets and opposed public disclosure of the pricing details. Rafale deal is a defence agreement signed between the governments of India and France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as a part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. Indian Air Force had advanced a proposal to buy 126 fighter aircraft in August 2007 and floated a tender. Following this, an invitation was sent to various aviation companies to participate in the bidding process.

Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on Rafale deal on Friday

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday after two brief adjournments during the question hour following the ruckus created by opposition party members over several issues including Rafale deal, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery river water.

As soon as the Question Hour began after paying tributes to martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack, members from the Congress, TDP and AIADMK rushed to the Well raising slogans.&nbsp;

Demanding a law on construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena members were seen holding placards in the aisle.&nbsp;

TDP member Venkateshwara Rao (Babu) used a mike installed in the Well for the oath of a new member to prop up a poster seeking special status for Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

A Lok Sabha secretariat staffer tried to convince him not to use the mike. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar too tried to convince him to keep down the mike.&nbsp;

The TDP member's action invited the ire of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who warned him that he will be named.&nbsp;

Once a member is named, he or she has to leave the House chamber.&nbsp;

The Speaker then adjourned the House for nearly 10 minutes till 11.20 AM.&nbsp;

When the House assembled again, Mahajan reminded the members that they can raise issues under various rules.&nbsp;

Apparently referring to the Lok Sabha polls due in 2019, she said it was a "crucial time" and members should use it to raise issues related to the public.&nbsp;

She said Lok Sabha is for all states and regions and all should get a chance to raise their respective issues.&nbsp;

But opposition members remained unconvinced and returned to the Well.&nbsp;

Members of the Shiv Sena were seated on the front rows but did not raise slogans.&nbsp;

Members from TMC, Left and NCP were also seated on their benches.&nbsp;

As the bedlam continued, the House was adjourned for nearly 30 minutes till noon.&nbsp;

(With inputs from news agencies)

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday after two brief adjournments during the question hour following the ruckus created by opposition party members over several issues including Rafale deal, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery river water.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday after two brief adjournments during the question hour following the ruckus created by opposition party members over several issues including Rafale deal, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery river water. As soon as the Question Hour began after paying tributes to martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack, members from the Congress, TDP and AIADMK rushed to the Well raising slogans. Demanding a law on construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena members were seen holding placards in the aisle. TDP member Venkateshwara Rao (Babu) used a mike installed in the Well for the oath of a new member to prop up a poster seeking special status for Andhra Pradesh. A Lok Sabha secretariat staffer tried to convince him not to use the mike. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar too tried to convince him to keep down the mike. The TDP member's action invited the ire of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who warned him that he will be named. Once a member is named, he or she has to leave the House chamber. The Speaker then adjourned the House for nearly 10 minutes till 11.20 AM. When the House assembled again, Mahajan reminded the members that they can raise issues under various rules. Apparently referring to the Lok Sabha polls due in 2019, she said it was a "crucial time" and members should use it to raise issues related to the public. She said Lok Sabha is for all states and regions and all should get a chance to raise their respective issues. But opposition members remained unconvinced and returned to the Well. Members of the Shiv Sena were seated on the front rows but did not raise slogans. Members from TMC, Left and NCP were also seated on their benches. As the bedlam continued, the House was adjourned for nearly 30 minutes till noon. (With inputs from news agencies)

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day after opposition protests over Rafale deal, Cauvery river water

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi is "misguiding" people on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France and advised him to approach her predecessor A K Antony of the Congress to understand the process of defence procurement.

Gandhi has repeatedly alleged a mega scam in the Rafale fighter jet deal and accused the Modi government of favouring a private company in offset contract related to the Rs 58,000-crore defence agreement with Paris.

The government has vehemently denied Gandhi's charges.

"If he contacts and holds discussions with former Defence Minister (and Congress leader) A K Antony on process of procurement in the Rafale deal, he will understand it," she told reporters here.

The BJP leader was replying to a query about Gandhi making the controversial deal a big issue in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

"But his intention was not to understand it. His intention is to misguide people over Rafale deal, so wherever he goes he raises it to misguide people," Sitharaman added.

"The public won't be misguided by him. We have taken the decision (to buy 36 Rafale jets from France) without kickback," the minister said.

She said this level of transparency in the Ministry of Defence was not there during earlier procurements (under the Congress rule).

To another query on the Rafale deal, Sitharaman said she would not comment as the issue is pending before the Supreme Court.

She said the NDA government has been giving clear and correct information about the mega defence deal and it will continue doing so.

Sitharaman said the Congress has no poll issue to talk about in Madhya Pradesh so it is raising the Rafale matter in the state, which goes to the polls on November 28.

"It is not a national issue also," the minister said to another query on the Rafale deal.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi is "misguiding" people on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France and advised him to approach her predecessor A K Antony of the Congress to understand the process of defence procurement.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi is "misguiding" people on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France and advised him to approach her predecessor A K Antony of the Congress to understand the process of defence procurement. Gandhi has repeatedly alleged a mega scam in the Rafale fighter jet deal and accused the Modi government of favouring a private company in offset contract related to the Rs 58,000-crore defence agreement with Paris. The government has vehemently denied Gandhi's charges. "If he contacts and holds discussions with former Defence Minister (and Congress leader) A K Antony on process of procurement in the Rafale deal, he will understand it," she told reporters here. The BJP leader was replying to a query about Gandhi making the controversial deal a big issue in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. "But his intention was not to understand it. His intention is to misguide people over Rafale deal, so wherever he goes he raises it to misguide people," Sitharaman added. "The public won't be misguided by him. We have taken the decision (to buy 36 Rafale jets from France) without kickback," the minister said. She said this level of transparency in the Ministry of Defence was not there during earlier procurements (under the Congress rule). To another query on the Rafale deal, Sitharaman said she would not comment as the issue is pending before the Supreme Court. She said the NDA government has been giving clear and correct information about the mega defence deal and it will continue doing so. Sitharaman said the Congress has no poll issue to talk about in Madhya Pradesh so it is raising the Rafale matter in the state, which goes to the polls on November 28. "It is not a national issue also," the minister said to another query on the Rafale deal.

Sitharaman to Rahul Gandhi: Meet AK Antony to understand Rafale buy process

A French NGO called Sherpa has sought a clarification over the sale of 36 Rafale fighter jets to India and has filed a complaint with France's Financial Prosecutor's Office.&nbsp;

In a press release, published on its Facebook account, the NGO states that the complaint was filed on October 26&nbsp;"to clarify under which conditions 36 fighter aircraft produced by Dassault Aviation were sold to India in 2016 and the choice of its Indian partner, Reliance, a group led by a close partner of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi."

The complaint closely follows another complaint "lodged on the 4th of October 2018 by a former Indian Minister and an anti-corruption lawyer with the Central Bureau of Investigation in New Delhi."

The NGO, in its statement, informed that the complaint filed by the Indian minister was lodged against PM Modi for "abuse of authority" and " grant of undue advantages " in connection with the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

The release concluded by stating that the NGO expects the French Public Prosecutor's Office to "promptly investigate the seriousness of the facts and the presumptions on the reported offences."

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Sherpa, an NGO based in France, describes itself as an organisation with the "mission to protect and defend victims of economic crimes drawing on the power of the law and to fight against the new forms of impunity linked to globalization." It calls its motive to fight "economic crimes."

The Opposition has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of corruption in the Rafale deal, alleging that the NDA government is paying three times as much as the UPA government had agreed to pay for every Rafale.&nbsp;

The original Indian partner in the Rafale deal was the public sector HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd). But HAL was turfed out of the new deal, in favour of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence which has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace industries.&nbsp;

The government had earlier said it was Dassault which chose Reliance and they had nothing to do with it. The Rafale deal row escalated when former French President Francois Hollande, while on a trip to India, said it was the Indian government which had suggested Reliance's name and that France had no role in the selection of Anil Ambani's company.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said, "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-i-dont-lie-we-chose-ambani-by-ourselves-says-dassault-ceo-trappier-177000">We chose Ambani by ourselves</a>. We already have 30 partners other than Reliance." 
&nbsp;

A French NGO called Sherpa has sought a clarification over the sale of 36 Rafale fighter jets to India and has filed a complaint with France's Financial Prosecutor's Office.

A French NGO called Sherpa has sought a clarification over the sale of 36 Rafale fighter jets to India and has filed a complaint with France's Financial Prosecutor's Office. In a press release, published on its Facebook account, the NGO states that the complaint was filed on October 26 "to clarify under which conditions 36 fighter aircraft produced by Dassault Aviation were sold to India in 2016 and the choice of its Indian partner, Reliance, a group led by a close partner of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi." The complaint closely follows another complaint "lodged on the 4th of October 2018 by a former Indian Minister and an anti-corruption lawyer with the Central Bureau of Investigation in New Delhi." The NGO, in its statement, informed that the complaint filed by the Indian minister was lodged against PM Modi for "abuse of authority" and " grant of undue advantages " in connection with the Rafale deal. The release concluded by stating that the NGO expects the French Public Prosecutor's Office to "promptly investigate the seriousness of the facts and the presumptions on the reported offences." × Sherpa, an NGO based in France, describes itself as an organisation with the "mission to protect and defend victims of economic crimes drawing on the power of the law and to fight against the new forms of impunity linked to globalization." It calls its motive to fight "economic crimes." The Opposition has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of corruption in the Rafale deal, alleging that the NDA government is paying three times as much as the UPA government had agreed to pay for every Rafale. The original Indian partner in the Rafale deal was the public sector HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd). But HAL was turfed out of the new deal, in favour of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence which has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace industries. The government had earlier said it was Dassault which chose Reliance and they had nothing to do with it. The Rafale deal row escalated when former French President Francois Hollande, while on a trip to India, said it was the Indian government which had suggested Reliance's name and that France had no role in the selection of Anil Ambani's company. In an interview with news agency ANI, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said, "We chose Ambani by ourselves. We already have 30 partners other than Reliance."

French NGO files complaint, seeks clarification on terms of Rafale deal 

Former prime minister and Congress leader &nbsp;Manmohan Singh on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Modi government over Rafale deal and said that the government's refusal to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee &nbsp;(JPC) investigation means there is something murky about the deal.&nbsp;

Singh was addressing a gathering in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The Rafale deal has been a bone of contention between the ruling NDA and the opposition. While the Congress alleges serious corruption in the deal, the BJP has been claiming the present deal that the Modi government has struck with the Dassault Rafale is much better than the one signed by the Congress-led UPA. &nbsp;

''The people of the country are suspicious of the Rafale deal, the opposition and various groups are demanding a joint parliamentary committee but Modi government isn’t ready for it. Isse pata lagta hai dal mein&nbsp;kuch kaala hai,'' said Singh.&nbsp;

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The people of the country are suspicious of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> deal, the opposition and various groups are demanding a joint parliamentary committee but Modi government isn’t ready for it. Isse pata lagta hai daal mai kuchh kaala hai: Former PM Manmohan Singh <a href="https://t.co/f71OIEKl5y">pic.twitter.com/f71OIEKl5y</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1065168649017798656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Calling Modi-government's demonetisation as a ''monumental failure'', he tore into Modi on his promises made to youth and the farmers.&nbsp;

“Demonetisation was a monumental failure; it was a deliberate and designed attack on SMEs, farmers and housewives,” the former prime minister said and added PM Modi's election campaign slogan “Achhe Din” has been reduced to a pipe dream.

“Creation of 2 crore jobs per annum for the youth promised by Modi in 2014 is a pipe dream mooted by the Modi Government. The only reliable data is the quarterly survey of the Labour Bureau,” the former prime minister added.

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Modi government over Rafale deal and said that the government's refusal to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation means there is something murky about the deal.

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Modi government over Rafale deal and said that the government's refusal to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation means there is something murky about the deal. Singh was addressing a gathering in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. The Rafale deal has been a bone of contention between the ruling NDA and the opposition. While the Congress alleges serious corruption in the deal, the BJP has been claiming the present deal that the Modi government has struck with the Dassault Rafale is much better than the one signed by the Congress-led UPA. ''The people of the country are suspicious of the Rafale deal, the opposition and various groups are demanding a joint parliamentary committee but Modi government isn’t ready for it. Isse pata lagta hai dal mein kuch kaala hai,'' said Singh. The people of the country are suspicious of the #Rafale deal, the opposition and various groups are demanding a joint parliamentary committee but Modi government isn’t ready for it. Isse pata lagta hai daal mai kuchh kaala hai: Former PM Manmohan Singh pic.twitter.com/f71OIEKl5y — ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2018 × Calling Modi-government's demonetisation as a ''monumental failure'', he tore into Modi on his promises made to youth and the farmers. “Demonetisation was a monumental failure; it was a deliberate and designed attack on SMEs, farmers and housewives,” the former prime minister said and added PM Modi's election campaign slogan “Achhe Din” has been reduced to a pipe dream. “Creation of 2 crore jobs per annum for the youth promised by Modi in 2014 is a pipe dream mooted by the Modi Government. The only reliable data is the quarterly survey of the Labour Bureau,” the former prime minister added.

Dal mein kuch kaala hai: Manmohan Singh on Rafale deal

Stepping up attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday challenged the former to participate in a debate over the details of the Rafale fighter jets deal signed with the French government.

Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister will not be in a position to answer his questions over the alleged scams in the deal.

"I challenge Modi Ji to come on stage anywhere, anytime and debate over Rafale with me for just 15 minutes. I will talk about Anil Ambani, HAL, French President's statements and the pricing of the jets. I will say that Defence Minister said clearly that it's Prime Minister who did it. The Prime Minister did not follow the procedure. The CBI Director was removed at 2 am. He will not be able to answer my questions," said Mr Gandhi.

Reiterating his claim, the Congress chief said that Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation drive has benefited few of his "businessmen friends" in the country.

Talking about the unemployment crisis in Chhattisgarh, Mr Gandhi said that the incumbent Chief Minister Raman Singh has failed to provide employment in the state despite ruling for 15 years.

"Raman Singh has been in power for the last 15 years and Prime Minister Modi has completed four and a half years in government at the Centre and both the governments have failed to fulfil their promise to generate employment opportunities for the youth," he said.

Mr Gandhi added that once the Congress party comes to power in the state, government job vacancies will be filled. "After Congress government comes to power, government job vacancies will be filled and it will also stop the practice of outsourcing of jobs, which is being done in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh", he added.

He also promised that within 10 days after coming into power, the Congress party will waive off the loans of Chhattisgarh's farmers. "Secondly, you all were told that you will get a bonus. For the last two years, you have not been getting the same. Not only we will resume this practice, but we will also compensate for the bonus of these two years, which BJP failed to do," said the Congress chief.

The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh was held on November 12, while the second phase is due on November 20. The counting of votes will be held on December 11.&nbsp;

Stepping up attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday challenged the former to participate in a debate over the details of the Rafale fighter jets deal signed with the French government.

Stepping up attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday challenged the former to participate in a debate over the details of the Rafale fighter jets deal signed with the French government. Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister will not be in a position to answer his questions over the alleged scams in the deal. "I challenge Modi Ji to come on stage anywhere, anytime and debate over Rafale with me for just 15 minutes. I will talk about Anil Ambani, HAL, French President's statements and the pricing of the jets. I will say that Defence Minister said clearly that it's Prime Minister who did it. The Prime Minister did not follow the procedure. The CBI Director was removed at 2 am. He will not be able to answer my questions," said Mr Gandhi. Reiterating his claim, the Congress chief said that Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation drive has benefited few of his "businessmen friends" in the country. Talking about the unemployment crisis in Chhattisgarh, Mr Gandhi said that the incumbent Chief Minister Raman Singh has failed to provide employment in the state despite ruling for 15 years. "Raman Singh has been in power for the last 15 years and Prime Minister Modi has completed four and a half years in government at the Centre and both the governments have failed to fulfil their promise to generate employment opportunities for the youth," he said. Mr Gandhi added that once the Congress party comes to power in the state, government job vacancies will be filled. "After Congress government comes to power, government job vacancies will be filled and it will also stop the practice of outsourcing of jobs, which is being done in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh", he added. He also promised that within 10 days after coming into power, the Congress party will waive off the loans of Chhattisgarh's farmers. "Secondly, you all were told that you will get a bonus. For the last two years, you have not been getting the same. Not only we will resume this practice, but we will also compensate for the bonus of these two years, which BJP failed to do," said the Congress chief. The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh was held on November 12, while the second phase is due on November 20. The counting of votes will be held on December 11.

Rahul Gandhi challenges PM Modi for debate on Rafale deal

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a fresh attack on prime minister and accused Modi of personally increasing the benchmark price of Rafale jets by 3 billion Euros &nbsp;(Rs. 22,743Cr).

''Another RAFALE Skeleton! Mr Modi personally increased the benchmark price of RAFALE jets by 3 Billion Euros (₹22,743Cr). The former Director of Finance, MOD, just said that he and the negotiating team were overruled by Mr 56,'' Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

The Gandhi scion's fresh attack comes even as the Supreme Court reserved its judgement Wednesday on the clutch of petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Congress accused Prime Minister Modi of sabotaging country's interest for the sake of his cronies and alleging he fixed a higher benchmark price for the French fighter jets.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi took on Modi, saying the "Chowkidar (watchman) has sold out".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a fresh attack on prime minister and accused Modi of personally increasing the benchmark price of Rafale jets by 3 billion Euros (Rs.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a fresh attack on prime minister and accused Modi of personally increasing the benchmark price of Rafale jets by 3 billion Euros (Rs. 22,743Cr). ''Another RAFALE Skeleton! Mr Modi personally increased the benchmark price of RAFALE jets by 3 Billion Euros (₹22,743Cr). The former Director of Finance, MOD, just said that he and the negotiating team were overruled by Mr 56,'' Rahul Gandhi tweeted. The Gandhi scion's fresh attack comes even as the Supreme Court reserved its judgement Wednesday on the clutch of petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal. Earlier in the day, Congress accused Prime Minister Modi of sabotaging country's interest for the sake of his cronies and alleging he fixed a higher benchmark price for the French fighter jets. Congress President Rahul Gandhi took on Modi, saying the "Chowkidar (watchman) has sold out".

Modi increased benchmark price of Rafale jets by 3 billion Euros: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising national interests on the Rafale issue, with party chief Rahul Gandhi alleging that the latest skeleton to tumble out of the "Rafale cupboard" is that there is no guarantee by the French government backing the deal.

Gandhi asked if the Rafale jet deal can be called a "Government to Government" contract with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying there is only a letter from the French government promising to be faithful.&nbsp;

"The latest skeleton to tumble out of the RAFALE cupboard: No Guarantee by the French Government backing the deal.&nbsp;BUT, our PM says there's a letter from the French promising to be faithful. That's enough to call this a Government to Government&nbsp;deal" he asked on Twitter, using the hashtag "BikGayaChowkidar".

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The latest skeleton to tumble out of the RAFALE cupboard: 
 
NO Guarantee by the French Govt. backing the deal. 
 
BUT, our PM says there’s a letter from the French promising to be faithful! That’s enough to call this a “Govt to Govt” deal?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BikGayaChowkidar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BikGayaChowkidar</a> <a href="https://t.co/Epw3J62JbV">pic.twitter.com/Epw3J62JbV</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1063008637331927040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that no "sovereign guarantee" was given by the French government on the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.

The French government has, however, given a "letter of comfort" to India which would be good enough "governmental guarantee", Attorney General K K Venugopal told the court.&nbsp;

Echoing his party president, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the only forum to investigate acts of omission, commission and corruption in the "biggest defence scam" of India is to have a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.&nbsp;

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone as far as to sabotage his own nation's interests in favour of his crony capitalist friends," he said at a press conference, alleging that the prime minister had waived the sovereign guarantee requirement in the deal.&nbsp;

The Congress Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising national interests on the Rafale issue, with party chief Rahul Gandhi alleging that the latest skeleton to tumble out of the "Rafale cupboard" is that there is no guarantee by the French government backing the deal.

The Congress Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising national interests on the Rafale issue, with party chief Rahul Gandhi alleging that the latest skeleton to tumble out of the "Rafale cupboard" is that there is no guarantee by the French government backing the deal. Gandhi asked if the Rafale jet deal can be called a "Government to Government" contract with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying there is only a letter from the French government promising to be faithful. "The latest skeleton to tumble out of the RAFALE cupboard: No Guarantee by the French Government backing the deal. BUT, our PM says there's a letter from the French promising to be faithful. That's enough to call this a Government to Government deal" he asked on Twitter, using the hashtag "BikGayaChowkidar". The latest skeleton to tumble out of the RAFALE cupboard: NO Guarantee by the French Govt. backing the deal. BUT, our PM says there’s a letter from the French promising to be faithful! That’s enough to call this a “Govt to Govt” deal?#BikGayaChowkidar pic.twitter.com/Epw3J62JbV — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 15, 2018 × The government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that no "sovereign guarantee" was given by the French government on the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. The French government has, however, given a "letter of comfort" to India which would be good enough "governmental guarantee", Attorney General K K Venugopal told the court. Echoing his party president, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the only forum to investigate acts of omission, commission and corruption in the "biggest defence scam" of India is to have a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone as far as to sabotage his own nation's interests in favour of his crony capitalist friends," he said at a press conference, alleging that the prime minister had waived the sovereign guarantee requirement in the deal.

'No guarantee' by French govt is latest skeleton in Rafale cupboard: Rahul

The Supreme Court on Wednesday began examining the documents submitted by the Centre on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is holding the crucial hearing in the case during which the petitioners, who have sought a court-monitored investigation into the deal, will also make submissions.

The initial arguments are being commenced by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, who told the court that the Inter Government Agreement was "illegal" and sought an investigation in the matter.

The bench is likely to peruse the pricing details submitted by the government in a sealed cover.

On Monday, the Centre handed over a 14-page document to the Supreme Court came after discussions between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Attorney General KK Venugopal, reports said.

The court had earlier directed the central government to apprise it of the steps taken in the decision-making process related to the Rafale Deal.

The petitioners are likely to respond to the contents of the documents in which it has been stated by the government that the deal for 36 Rafale jets were negotiated on "better terms" and the Defence Procurement Procedure laid out in 2013 were "completely followed".

(With inputs from PTI)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday began examining the documents submitted by the Centre on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is holding the crucial hearing in the case during which the petitioners, who have sought a court-monitored investigation into the deal, will also make submissions.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday began examining the documents submitted by the Centre on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is holding the crucial hearing in the case during which the petitioners, who have sought a court-monitored investigation into the deal, will also make submissions. The initial arguments are being commenced by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, who told the court that the Inter Government Agreement was "illegal" and sought an investigation in the matter. The bench is likely to peruse the pricing details submitted by the government in a sealed cover. On Monday, the Centre handed over a 14-page document to the Supreme Court came after discussions between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Attorney General KK Venugopal, reports said. The court had earlier directed the central government to apprise it of the steps taken in the decision-making process related to the Rafale Deal. The petitioners are likely to respond to the contents of the documents in which it has been stated by the government that the deal for 36 Rafale jets were negotiated on "better terms" and the Defence Procurement Procedure laid out in 2013 were "completely followed". (With inputs from PTI)

Rafale deal: Supreme Court begins hearing, petitioners to respond to Centre’s documents

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure.

Two days after the government submitted to the apex court in a sealed cover details of pricing of the Rafale deal, Attornet General K K Venugopal defended the secrecy clause related to the pricing of jets before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

To the government's submission, the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said any discussion on pricing of the Rafale fighter jets can only take place if the facts on the deal are allowed to come in the public domain.

"The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said bench and noted that without bringing the facts in public domain, there was no question of any debate on the pricing of the planes.

Asserting that the decision on types of aircraft and weapons that need to be bought was a matter for experts and not an issue to be adjudicated upon by the judiciary, Venugopal said, "even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of jets".

Responding to allegation by Prashant Bhushan, one of the petitioners, that there was no sovereign guarantee by France for the deal, the attorney general admitted that there is no sovereign guarantee, but asserted that there is a letter of comfort by France which would be as good as a governmental guarantee.&nbsp;

Venugopal also submitted that in the earlier contract (during UPA government), the jets were not to be loaded with requisite weapons system and the reservation of the government was due to the fact that it did not want to violate the clause of the Inter Government Agreement and the secrecy clause.

The top law officer said the government has already given to the court the complete details of the Rafale jets, the weapons to be fitted on the aircraft and other requirements, and added that "our adversaries may get advantages if the entire details on the pricing is disclosed".

Refusing to publicly divulge details on the pricing aspect, Venugopal said he would not be able to assist the court further on the pricing issue.&nbsp;

"I decided not to peruse it myself as in a case of any leak, my office would be held responsible," he said.

During the hearing, Venugopal said at the exchange rate of November 2016, the cost of a bare fighter jet was Rs 670 crore. 
India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

He also told the court that presently three countries France, Egypt and Qatar are flying Rafale fighter jets. 
Venugopal concluded his argument saying that Rafale aircrafts are potent and "had we possessed Rafale during the Kargil war, we could have avoided huge casualties as Rafale is capable of hitting targets from a distance of 60 kms".

To this the bench said,"Mr. Attorney, Kargil was in 1999-2000? Rafale came in 2014."

The top law officer replied, "I said it hypothetically".&nbsp;

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure.

The government Wednesday refused to make public details related to the pricing of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in the Supreme Court, saying "our adversaries may get an advantage" by such a disclosure. Two days after the government submitted to the apex court in a sealed cover details of pricing of the Rafale deal, Attornet General K K Venugopal defended the secrecy clause related to the pricing of jets before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. To the government's submission, the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said any discussion on pricing of the Rafale fighter jets can only take place if the facts on the deal are allowed to come in the public domain. "The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said bench and noted that without bringing the facts in public domain, there was no question of any debate on the pricing of the planes. Asserting that the decision on types of aircraft and weapons that need to be bought was a matter for experts and not an issue to be adjudicated upon by the judiciary, Venugopal said, "even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of jets". Responding to allegation by Prashant Bhushan, one of the petitioners, that there was no sovereign guarantee by France for the deal, the attorney general admitted that there is no sovereign guarantee, but asserted that there is a letter of comfort by France which would be as good as a governmental guarantee. Venugopal also submitted that in the earlier contract (during UPA government), the jets were not to be loaded with requisite weapons system and the reservation of the government was due to the fact that it did not want to violate the clause of the Inter Government Agreement and the secrecy clause. The top law officer said the government has already given to the court the complete details of the Rafale jets, the weapons to be fitted on the aircraft and other requirements, and added that "our adversaries may get advantages if the entire details on the pricing is disclosed". Refusing to publicly divulge details on the pricing aspect, Venugopal said he would not be able to assist the court further on the pricing issue. "I decided not to peruse it myself as in a case of any leak, my office would be held responsible," he said. During the hearing, Venugopal said at the exchange rate of November 2016, the cost of a bare fighter jet was Rs 670 crore. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. He also told the court that presently three countries France, Egypt and Qatar are flying Rafale fighter jets. Venugopal concluded his argument saying that Rafale aircrafts are potent and "had we possessed Rafale during the Kargil war, we could have avoided huge casualties as Rafale is capable of hitting targets from a distance of 60 kms". To this the bench said,"Mr. Attorney, Kargil was in 1999-2000? Rafale came in 2014." The top law officer replied, "I said it hypothetically".

Rafale deal: Govt refuses to make pricing details public in SC 

The Supreme Court said pricing details of Rafale jets could only be discussed after it decides on whether to make it public, and reserved its order on Wednesday on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in the multi-billion deal amidst the government's vehement opposition to the public disclosure.

The observation by apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, came after the government refused to publicly divulge pricing details of the deal, saying it would give advantage to India's enemies.

Hearing a bunch of pleas alleging criminality in Rafale deal and seeking court-monitored probe into it, the apex court asked wide-ranging questions from the government on issues including lack of sovereign guarantee from the French government, selection of Indian offset partner by the Dassault Aviation and need of entering into Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France.

The three-judge bench took note of submissions and counter arguments on pricing of the fighter jets with the petitioners alleging that the government has been giving "bogus arguments" and "hiding behind the secrecy clause".

"The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.

Vehemently defending non-disclosure of price publicly, Attorney General K K Venugopal said the cost of a bare Rafale jet as per 2016 exchange rate was Rs 670 crore and the disclosure of price of a "fully loaded" aircraft would give an "advantage to the adversaries".

"If cost of a fully loaded aircraft with weaponry and avionics will be disclosed, our adversaries would be able to know what is the nature of avionics and weapons fitted in it," he said, adding, that India cannot renegade on agreement with France to disclose confidential information about specifics on avionics and weaponry.&nbsp;

Countering petitioners' argument that Parliament has been given pricing twice, Venugopal said, "We have been saying that even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of the jets."

Petitioner lawyer Prashant Bhushan claimed the Union Law Ministry had red-flagged two issues -- absence of sovereign guarantee by France and international arbitration clause in IGA as per which the arbitration seat would be at Geneva -- but the government went ahead with the deal.

Venugopal admitted that there was no sovereign guarantee, but said that France has given a 'letter of comfort' which would be good enough as a governmental guarantee.&nbsp; 
He also said issues like types of aircraft and weapons needed to be bought cannot be adjudicated by a court as these were the matters to be decided by experts.

During the four-hour long hearing, the bench told Venugopal the court would want to interact with the Indian Air Force (IAF) officers instead of the Defence Ministry officials to know about the requirement of the IAF.

"We are dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to ask an Air Force officer about their requirements. We want to hear from an Air force officer and not the official of the Defence Ministry on the issue," the bench said after the AG informed it that Additional Secretary of Defence Ministry was present in the court.

Later, senior IAF official Air Vice Marshall J Chalapati, alongwith other top officers including Air Marshal Anil Khosla and Deputy Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal V R Chaudhari appeared in the court and the CJI interacted with Chalapati over the requirements of the IAF.

During the hearing, Justice Joseph referred to the 2007 Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of 126 Rafale jets and observed, "The RFP was scrapped in June 2015. Then how can you (government) claim that the due process laid down earlier was followed?".

The CJI also asked Venugopal, "Is the fresh RFP required in an inter-governmental agreement for the 36 jets?". To this, he said an IGA does not require fresh RFP. 
The court then asked whether the new 36 jets were same as the bare planes which were sought to be procured in 2007. "Yes", said Venugopal and added that "deliverables" are much better this time due to the time gap and improvement in technology.&nbsp;

He also said that even in 2007, pricing of weaponry and avionics were not made public as claimed by the petitioners.

On the issue of offset partner, the bench asked the additional defence secretary, "What happens to the country's interests if the Indian offset partner chosen is not good enough and not able to make good the contract? What was the need to amend offset guidelines with retrospective effect?".

Responding to the query, the official said if selection of offset partner is not valid, then Dassault would run the risk of the government not accepting its decision on the offset partner and a penalty can also be imposed.

Bhushan, appearing on behalf of himself and former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, alleged that the government was hiding behind the secrecy clause. Advocates M L Sharma, Vineet Dhanda and Dheeraj Singh, counsel for AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who have also filed petitions in the case, also advanced their arguments.&nbsp; 
India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court said pricing details of Rafale jets could only be discussed after it decides on whether to make it public, and reserved its order on Wednesday on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in the multi-billion deal amidst the government's vehement opposition to the public disclosure.

The Supreme Court said pricing details of Rafale jets could only be discussed after it decides on whether to make it public, and reserved its order on Wednesday on pleas seeking court-monitored probe in the multi-billion deal amidst the government's vehement opposition to the public disclosure. The observation by apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, came after the government refused to publicly divulge pricing details of the deal, saying it would give advantage to India's enemies. Hearing a bunch of pleas alleging criminality in Rafale deal and seeking court-monitored probe into it, the apex court asked wide-ranging questions from the government on issues including lack of sovereign guarantee from the French government, selection of Indian offset partner by the Dassault Aviation and need of entering into Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France. The three-judge bench took note of submissions and counter arguments on pricing of the fighter jets with the petitioners alleging that the government has been giving "bogus arguments" and "hiding behind the secrecy clause". "The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not," said the bench, which also comprised justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. Vehemently defending non-disclosure of price publicly, Attorney General K K Venugopal said the cost of a bare Rafale jet as per 2016 exchange rate was Rs 670 crore and the disclosure of price of a "fully loaded" aircraft would give an "advantage to the adversaries". "If cost of a fully loaded aircraft with weaponry and avionics will be disclosed, our adversaries would be able to know what is the nature of avionics and weapons fitted in it," he said, adding, that India cannot renegade on agreement with France to disclose confidential information about specifics on avionics and weaponry. Countering petitioners' argument that Parliament has been given pricing twice, Venugopal said, "We have been saying that even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of the jets." Petitioner lawyer Prashant Bhushan claimed the Union Law Ministry had red-flagged two issues -- absence of sovereign guarantee by France and international arbitration clause in IGA as per which the arbitration seat would be at Geneva -- but the government went ahead with the deal. Venugopal admitted that there was no sovereign guarantee, but said that France has given a 'letter of comfort' which would be good enough as a governmental guarantee. He also said issues like types of aircraft and weapons needed to be bought cannot be adjudicated by a court as these were the matters to be decided by experts. During the four-hour long hearing, the bench told Venugopal the court would want to interact with the Indian Air Force (IAF) officers instead of the Defence Ministry officials to know about the requirement of the IAF. "We are dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to ask an Air Force officer about their requirements. We want to hear from an Air force officer and not the official of the Defence Ministry on the issue," the bench said after the AG informed it that Additional Secretary of Defence Ministry was present in the court. Later, senior IAF official Air Vice Marshall J Chalapati, alongwith other top officers including Air Marshal Anil Khosla and Deputy Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal V R Chaudhari appeared in the court and the CJI interacted with Chalapati over the requirements of the IAF. During the hearing, Justice Joseph referred to the 2007 Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of 126 Rafale jets and observed, "The RFP was scrapped in June 2015. Then how can you (government) claim that the due process laid down earlier was followed?". The CJI also asked Venugopal, "Is the fresh RFP required in an inter-governmental agreement for the 36 jets?". To this, he said an IGA does not require fresh RFP. The court then asked whether the new 36 jets were same as the bare planes which were sought to be procured in 2007. "Yes", said Venugopal and added that "deliverables" are much better this time due to the time gap and improvement in technology. He also said that even in 2007, pricing of weaponry and avionics were not made public as claimed by the petitioners. On the issue of offset partner, the bench asked the additional defence secretary, "What happens to the country's interests if the Indian offset partner chosen is not good enough and not able to make good the contract? What was the need to amend offset guidelines with retrospective effect?". Responding to the query, the official said if selection of offset partner is not valid, then Dassault would run the risk of the government not accepting its decision on the offset partner and a penalty can also be imposed. Bhushan, appearing on behalf of himself and former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, alleged that the government was hiding behind the secrecy clause. Advocates M L Sharma, Vineet Dhanda and Dheeraj Singh, counsel for AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who have also filed petitions in the case, also advanced their arguments. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

Rafale deal: Supreme Court says it needs to decide if pricing details should be made public

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-to-launch-gsat-29-shortly-satellite-to-meet-communication-needs-of-remote-areas-177320">ISRO launches India's heaviest rocket, satellite on board will boost communication in Northeast, J&amp;K</a>

India's heaviest rocket the GSLV-MkIII-D2 blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Prades carrying the communication satellite GSAT-29 on board. The satellite will boost communications in remote areas.&nbsp;

According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the GSLV-MkIII stands 43.4 metres tall and weighs 640 tonnes.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-rajapaksa-deputies-say-he-will-stay-in-office-177314">Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa deputies say he will stay in office despite losing trust vote</a>

Sri Lanka's parliament passed a no-confidence motion against newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, presenting a standoff with the opposition and throwing the country deeper into turmoil.

Deputies from Rajapaksa's party rejected the voice vote as illegal, saying it wasn't scheduled and that the pro-China former strongman would remain in office.

It wasn't immediately clear what President Maithripala Sirisena, who triggered the crisis by firing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and naming Rajapaksa to the job last month, would do now.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-terror-attacks-finally-lead-back-to-single-source-modi-to-us-vp-mike-pence-177357">All terror attacks finally lead back to 'single source': Modi to US VP Mike Pence</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told US Vice President Mike Pence that all the traces and all the leads in the global terror attacks ultimately leads to a "single source and single place of origin", in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Modi, who held talks with Pence on a wide range of bilateral and global issues of mutual interests on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit here, also expressed concern over the participation of terrorists in the elections in Pakistan.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/deepika-padukone-and-ranveer-singh-are-now-officially-married-reports-177328">Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are now married: Reports</a>

It's finally happened. Bollywood's favourite couple- Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh- are officially married. The couple tied the knot in a traditional Konkani ceremony on Wednesday morning at Lake Como, Italy.&nbsp;

According to media reports, the wedding began at 9 am in the morning. The ceremony was strictly a private one with only close friends and relatives in attendance. No mobile phones were allowed at the venue.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-supreme-court-reserves-judgement-on-petitions-seeking-court-monitored-probe-177339">Rafale deal: SC reserves judgement on petitions seeking court-monitored probe</a>

After a four-hour long hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its judgement Wednesday on the clutch of petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

The government’s response to the Supreme Court — the court had asked for pricing and decision-making details of the deal — met with fiery questions from the petitioners. The petitioners alleged that the procurement of the 36 Rafale jets was announced first and negotiations held later, when it should have been the other way round.&nbsp;

Questions about the pricing of the jets dominated the day's discourse with the petitioners quizzing the Centre about having provided the details twice in parliament but not to them.

ISRO launches India's heaviest rocket, satellite on board will boost communication in Northeast, J&K India's heaviest rocket the GSLV-MkIII-D2 blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Prades carrying the communication satellite GSAT-29 on board.

ISRO launches India's heaviest rocket, satellite on board will boost communication in Northeast, J&K India's heaviest rocket the GSLV-MkIII-D2 blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Prades carrying the communication satellite GSAT-29 on board. The satellite will boost communications in remote areas. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the GSLV-MkIII stands 43.4 metres tall and weighs 640 tonnes. Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa deputies say he will stay in office despite losing trust vote Sri Lanka's parliament passed a no-confidence motion against newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, presenting a standoff with the opposition and throwing the country deeper into turmoil. Deputies from Rajapaksa's party rejected the voice vote as illegal, saying it wasn't scheduled and that the pro-China former strongman would remain in office. It wasn't immediately clear what President Maithripala Sirisena, who triggered the crisis by firing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and naming Rajapaksa to the job last month, would do now. All terror attacks finally lead back to 'single source': Modi to US VP Mike Pence Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told US Vice President Mike Pence that all the traces and all the leads in the global terror attacks ultimately leads to a "single source and single place of origin", in an apparent reference to Pakistan. Modi, who held talks with Pence on a wide range of bilateral and global issues of mutual interests on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit here, also expressed concern over the participation of terrorists in the elections in Pakistan. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are now married: Reports It's finally happened. Bollywood's favourite couple- Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh- are officially married. The couple tied the knot in a traditional Konkani ceremony on Wednesday morning at Lake Como, Italy. According to media reports, the wedding began at 9 am in the morning. The ceremony was strictly a private one with only close friends and relatives in attendance. No mobile phones were allowed at the venue. Rafale deal: SC reserves judgement on petitions seeking court-monitored probe After a four-hour long hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its judgement Wednesday on the clutch of petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal. The government’s response to the Supreme Court — the court had asked for pricing and decision-making details of the deal — met with fiery questions from the petitioners. The petitioners alleged that the procurement of the 36 Rafale jets was announced first and negotiations held later, when it should have been the other way round. Questions about the pricing of the jets dominated the day's discourse with the petitioners quizzing the Centre about having provided the details twice in parliament but not to them.

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