Rafale: BJP hits backs at Cong

The BJP on Monday launched a counter-attack on the Congress over the Rafale deal, saying its allegations are a "collective singing of falsehood" to defend its chief Rahul Gandhi and his family.

Addressing a press conference here, Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad said Rahul was prima facie guilty of breach of privilege for "misleading" the Lok Sabha in his speech during the no-confidence motion on Friday when he claimed there was no confidentiality clause in the deal and his claims about Rahul's conversation with the French president.

"Perhaps this may be the first time in the world when a Parliament is debating a no-confidence motion, a foreign country has issued a rebuttal to a statement made inside the House," he said referring to French government's denial on Rahul's claims on his conversation with its president.

He also cited replies made in Parliament by the UPA government on defence purchases in which former defence ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony, at various occasions, declined to share price details and other information on the ground of national security.

"The stand of the Congress in Rafale deal is clearly not in the interest of the country," Prasad said.

On Congress fielding Antony to rebutt the counters by Defence Minster Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said, "Dynastic parties are always crowd around a family. That is true of the Congress. Since a member of the family has resorted to falsehood, the crowd around family has no option but to collectively sing the tune of falsehood," he said.