In the election year, the multi-billion Rafale combat jet deal has emerged as the biggest talking point. Two days after intense war of words between the Congress and the BJP in the Lok Sabha, Anurag Thakur again attacked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi during the Rafale debate on Friday. “The Congress took more than 20 days to prepare for the debate. When the Opposition brought forward a leader to lead the discussion, it was a confused and a corrupt leader, who is out on bail. Woh 20 minute mein 20 jhooth bol kar chale gaye (He spoke 20 lies in 20 minutes),†Thakur said.
Thakur also slammed the Congress chief for attacking ANI Editor Smita Prakash. “PM Modi answered on every issue in the 95-minute interview. What did Rahul Gandhi expect Ms Smita Prakash to ask? 'What you like to eat, how is your dog etc?' And later Rahul Gandhi attacking the woman journalist for it is extremely condemnable,†Thakur said.
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Anurag Thakur, BJP on #Rafale debate in LS: Congress took more than 20 days to prepare for the debate. When the opposition brought forward a leader to lead the discussion, it was a confused and a corrupt leader, who is out on bail. Woh 20 minute mein 20 jhooth bol kar chale gaye pic.twitter.com/K2tjNXdAQL
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2019
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BJP MP Anurag Thakur in Lok Sabha: PM Modi answered on every issue in the 95-minute interview. What did Rahul Gandhi expect Ms Smita Prakash to ask? 'What you like to eat, how is your dog etc?' And later Rahul Gandhi attacking the woman journalist for it is extremely condemnable pic.twitter.com/XXLrHoKz6v
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2019
Earlier today, the Congress today launched a fresh offensive on the Rafale deal and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of brushing aside objections raised by the Defence and the Law ministries, causing losses to the exchequer and compromising national security.
The Opposition party fielded senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Randeep Surjewala to reiterate its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.
Addressing the media outside Parliament, the leaders cited objections raised by the Defence and Law ministries and demanded that the prime minister and defence minister disclose full facts before Parliament and a JPC. "Will the prime minister and defence minister now disclose the full facts to Parliament. Only a JPC can investigate the Rafale scam," Azad told reporters ahead of the government's reply in Parliament. Accusing the government of running away from a JPC probe, Kharge said only a JPC could bring out the truth after summoning the files related to the deal.