Cong stages walkout in LS on Rafale issue

Congress members on Tuesday staged protests in Parliament pressing for a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the Rafale deal, a demand rejected by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

“If the prime minister has nothing to hide, he should come forth and constitute a JPC for a detailed inquiry into the deal. The prime minister does not have the courage. You constitute a JPC, we will prove the misdeeds in the deal,” Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said during Zero Hour.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh dismissed the Congress claims saying that the Lok Sabha had already discussed the Rafale issue and even the Supreme Court had given its judgement in this regard.

“Look at the irony, the Opposition leader is speaking untruth repeatedly to establish it as the truth. There is an attempt to mislead the people,” Singh said.

Kharge also accused the Modi government of leaking the CAG report on Rafale claiming that it was presented to the Rajya Sabha, but not in the Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected Kharge's charge.

“Nothing has been hidden. You don't look at the agenda, first have a look at the agenda,” she said and proceeded to the conduct of business of the House.

Later, Kharge said that the Congress members were walking out in protest against the government's refusal to accept the demand for a JPC inquiry in the Rafale deal.