Congress and BJP in fresh spat on Rafale deal

New Delhi: The Congress and the BJP exchanged a fresh series of barbs over the Rafale aircraft deal on Thursday with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of allegedly changing the “entire deal” to benefit a businessman, a charge which the ruling BJP promptly refuted.

Mr Gandhi also asked why no questions were put to the Prime Minister about BJP president Amit Shah’s son Jay, whose company his party alleged has seen a quantum jump in turnover after the Modi government had come to power in 2014.

“You ask me so many questions and I answer all of them. I want to ask you — why don’t you question Prime Minister Modi on the Rafale deal? Why don’t you ask about Amit Shah’s son? Why don’t you question the PM, who changed the entire Rafale deal to help a businessman?” he said while speaking to journalists at the AICC headquarters, where he met the office-bearers of the All India Unorganised Workers’ Congress.

Responding to Mr Gandhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress is unable to digest the popularity of Mr Modi. “They are finding it difficult to accept that there has been no case of corruption in the three-year rule of the Narendra Modi government,” he said while briefing reporters after the meeting of the Union Cabinet. The Rafale deal was the focus of debate earlier this week as well when the Congress accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting “crony capitalism” and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

Refuting the Congress leader’s allegations, the BJP said it was intended to “divert attention” as party bigwigs faced the prospect of being questioned in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scandal.