Rahul: Government running away from Rafale debate

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of running away from discussion on the Rafale deal while calling demonetisation as the "biggest scam in the world."

Talking to reporters at the Parliament House complex, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of favouritism in the Rafale deal and said there should be a joint parliamentary committee probe. 

"You said you want to discuss... so why are you running away? Come forward and tell us about Rafale and tell the country why you did not waive farmers' loans... and also when you are going to do it," he said.

Gandhi alleged that demonetisation was carried out to take money away from the poor and distribute it among friends of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. 
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"Demonetisation was the biggest scam in the world," he said. 

Gandhi did not respond to BJP's demand for his apology over sentencing of party leader Sajjan Kumar, who resigned on Tuesday. "I have made my position very clear on riots. This press conference is about farmers and the fact that Narendra Modi refuses to waive even a rupee of their loan," he said. 

Asked about government moving the Supreme Court seeking a correction in a paragraph that makes reference to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and to the Public Accounts Committee, he said "a lot of typos will now emerge". 

"This is the beginning of typos, more will come -- on JPC, Rafale, farm loan waiver and demonetisation. People's money has been stolen."

The Supreme Court had on Friday dismissed four petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters from France. - IANS