The Congress on Thursday attacked the Narendra Modi Government over issues of fuel price and Rafale deal regarding which the Opposition party again knocked the door of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
The party accused Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of “hiding the truth” of Rs 13 lakh Crore ‘Fuel Loot’ which is now in fact fueling the coffers of NDA Government. It also said the FM is lying that the increase in Government revenue increase is due to augmentation of tax base.
The party termed the minor cut in fuel price by the Centre as “band aid” after facing public ire and an imminent defeat in five Assembly elections scheduled in five States.
“The Modi Government attempted to apply ‘Band Aid’ on the thousand wounds inflicted by it by massive profiteering in the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, cooking gas, CNG, PNG and Natural Gas. Let the Prime Minister remember that he cannot befool the people of India. We challenge the PM and FM to answer to people on Rs 13 lakh crore loot,” AICC chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala.
Earlier in the day, senior party leaders led by Ahmed Patel called on CAG Rajiv Mehrishi to carry out a forensic audit of the “Rs 60,150 crore” Rafale fighter jet deal and bring all “facts” on record to enable Parliament to fix accountability for the alleged scam in the contract. The delegation presented a memorandum to CAG along with fresh documents. It had met the CAG on September 19 and thereafter the CVC on September 24 for a probe into the deal.
Subsequent to the submissions made before the CAG earlier in the Rafale ‘scam’, the Congress alleged that documents and revelations made at the highest level in India and France have “exposed a deep rooted sinister conspiracy and a clear cut case of loss to public exchequer”.
The party told the CAG that all the contours of conspiracy, corruption, endangering of national security and crony capitalism can only be uncovered thorough a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
“It is expected that the CAG which has a Constitutional mandate and authority to scrutinise every document, in this case, including original tender, understanding reached between Dassault and HAL and the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister without any mandate from Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will undertake a forensic audit. We therefore request the CAG to bring all facts on record to enable Parliament to fix accountability for Rafale scam,” the Congress memorandum said.
