Pressing with its demand for constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe Rafale fighter jet deal, the Congress Tuesday staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha when Government refused to respond to it.
Alleging corruption, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that a JPC alone could detail out all the facts of the controversial Rafale deal with France.
He also demanded discussion on the issue to which the Speaker said a debate had already taken place in the House.
Kharge said the CAG report on defence was tabled before the Rajya Sabha and was “leaked”. He said the report was not tabled before Lok Sabha.
Mahajan said the reports were tabled before the Lok Sabha, in an apparent reference to P Radhakrishnan tabling three CAG reports, including one on defence services.
Intervening in the matter, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the issue of Rafale has been discussed in the House and even the Supreme Court has given its judgement on it.
At this state an agitated Kharge asked loudly, “What is this? We want JPC”.
“I will allow you to speak when the time will come. Now sit down. You have shouted a lot. Give your throat some rest,” she said.
With this, Kharge sat down but said, “If you don’t allow us to speak, why should we be here”.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was sitting next to Kharge, nodded in support.
Kharge soon nudged other Congress MPs to restart the protests and they immediately trooped into the well, carrying placards and shouting slogans seeking JPC on the Rafale deal.
