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Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi’s JPC challenge to Arun Jaitley’s charge of peddling lies

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8 years ago

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Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi’s JPC challenge to Arun Jaitley’s charge of peddling lies

The controversy over Rafale deal revived once again on Wednesday with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Congress led by Rahul Gandhi sparring over the issue.

Posing 15 questions to Congress party, Arun Jaitley had termed Congress’ charges on the deal to purchase Rafale fighter aircraft as “complete falsehood” and said the cost per aircraft under the deal finalised by Narendra Modi government was in fact much lower than that under the deal that was being negotiated by UPA government.

He also countered Congress’ allegation that the government had benefited Anil Ambani’s Reliance group, saying “Government of India has no contract whatsoever with any private industry in relation with the Rafale aircraft supplies.”

Jaitley accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of “peddling untruth” on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

In response, Rahul Gandhi had announced the 24-hour challenge to Jaitley to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into what he called the “great Rafale robbery”. He said he would wait for a response for 24 hours.

Unrelenting, he today posted a tart reminder to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with six hours left in his 24-hour deadline to set up an all-party lawmakers’ panel.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Dear Mr Jaitley, Less than 6 hrs left for your deadline on the #Rafale JPC to run out. Young India is waiting. I hope you’re busy convincing Modi Ji and Anil Ambani Ji about why they should listen to you & approve this! @ArunJaitley”

The Congress president also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani, without naming the Reliance Group chairman. He accused PM Modi of “protecting his friend”:

“Mr Jaitley, thanks for bringing the nation’s attention back to the GREAT #RAFALE ROBBERY! How about a Joint Parliamentary Committee to sort it out? Problem is, your Supreme Leader is protecting his friend, so this may be inconvenient. Do check & revert in 24 hrs. We’re waiting!”

Later, BJP president Amit Shah joined in the sparring, describing JPC as ‘Jhoothi Party Congress’ and accusing Rahul Gandhi of pushing “lies” to fool the nation. “But the nation’s IQ is higher than yours!” he tweeted.

At the core of the controversy is the allegation levelled by Rahul Gandhi that the price of the jets is higher than what was negotiated by the previous Congress-led government for 126 aircraft. He also alleges that the deal was sealed at a higher price at a loss to the taxman to favour “a businessman”.

Anil Ambani has rejected Rahul Gandhi’s allegations and emphasised that the government had no role in the Rafale-manufacturing French firm Dassault picking up his company as a local partner.

Jaitley alleged that “Rahul Gandhi’s misadventure” was seriously compromising national security. “This is like a kindergarten or primary school debate ‘Well, I was paying 500 something and you’ve paid 1,600 something’. That’s the argument being given; it shows how little understanding Rahul Gandhi has,” Arun Jaitley told news agency ANI. “Every single word in the Congress’s allegation is factually false,” he said.

Congress has dismissed finance minister Arun Jaitley’s defence of Rafale deal as “an obvious attempt at obfuscation” when his government was faced with the Reserve Bank of India data on demonetisation.

AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari on Wednesday said the finance minister should, instead, simply answer two questions: Since the joint statement by Prime Minister of India and President of France “states the Rafale aircraft and associated system and weapons will be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by Indian Air Force”, why can’t the government state whether IAF at all re-evaluated the aircraft specifications since UPA closed negotiations and before the Modi regime purchased Rafale in 2015 and “why can’t the government simply release the price at which it purchased the Rafale jets in 2015 and the price at which the UPA government had closed the negotiations in 2012?”

Secondly, the Congress asked Jaitley, “If the prime minister, the finance minister and the non-functioning defence minister have nothing to hide on the Rafale deal, why was the government shying away from accepting the opposition demand to constitute a JPC to probe the Rafale matter?”

Tewari questioned the timing of Jaitley’s offensive. He said the timing of Jaitley’s defence of Rafale “exactly at that point in time when the RBI was releasing demonetisation data… it would not be remiss to say that the Finance Minister was trying to cover up one scandal with another scandal”.

“This is a very funny government,” Tewari alleged. “The FM speaks on defence affairs, the non-functioning defence minister holds forth on finance affairs. The FM writes blog on legal matters and law minister holds forth on many issues in a manner that only he understands what he meant. And the railway minister doubles up as FM. Collectively, responsibility in this government is such that no minister has responsibility of his ministry’s matters.”

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma rejected Jaitley’s contention that the government had nothing to do with the selection of partners for offset supplies. He said vendors have to disclose how the offset contracts would be discharged under the defence procurement policy.

“You left out HAL, violated the Official Secrets Act, did not seek the mandate of CCS and conducted no price determination for reducing the aircraft purchase from 126 to 36 aircraft. So there should be a probe into this. They may deny whatever, but the truth will come out,” Sharma said.

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Centre ready for NEET debate in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi’s paper leak claims to be investigated: JP Nadda

Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the government is prepared for a detailed Parliament debate on the NEET paper leak issue and will investigate Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of multiple paper leaks over the last decade.

Published

3 days ago

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July 22, 2026

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JP-Nadda

The Centre has reiterated its willingness to hold a detailed discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in Parliament, with Union Health Minister JP Nadda saying the government is prepared for a debate of any duration. He also said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of around 152 examination paper leaks over the past 10 years would be investigated.

Government open to debate of any duration

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, JP Nadda said the government has consistently supported a discussion on the paper leak issue in Parliament. He stated that the Opposition could decide the duration of the debate through the Business Advisory Committee, whether it is a short discussion or one extending to 12 or even 18 hours.

Nadda, who is also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said the government remains fully prepared for a comprehensive discussion and urged the Opposition not to shift its position on the issue.

Rahul Gandhi’s paper leak allegations to be examined

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s recent presentation, Nadda said the Congress leader referred to nearly 150 paper leak incidents over the last decade. He described those claims as a matter that requires investigation and said the government would examine the allegations before presenting the facts to the public.

According to Nadda, a responsible government is committed to verifying such claims and ensuring that the truth is established through due investigation.

Calls for a united approach on NEET issue

Highlighting the significance of the matter, Nadda said the future of students should remain the top priority for both the government and the Opposition. He appealed to political parties to work together in finding a long-term solution to prevent examination irregularities.

He added that safeguarding the interests of students is a shared responsibility and called for constructive cooperation instead of political differences.

Nadda on meeting with CJP representatives

The Union Minister also spoke about his recent interaction with representatives of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). He said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, during which the government listened to their concerns and asked them to submit their suggestions in writing.

Nadda said the government remains open to further discussions whenever required and clarified that no meeting with the group was held on Wednesday.

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Opposition demands Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation before NEET discussion in Parliament

The Opposition has demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation before any discussion on the NEET paper leak in Parliament, while the Centre says it is fully prepared for a debate.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 22, 2026

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The political deadlock over the NEET paper leak issue continued in Parliament on Wednesday, with Opposition parties demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before any discussion takes place. The Centre, however, maintained that it is fully prepared to debate the matter during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Leading the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said there could be no fair discussion on the NEET issue unless Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post.

Centre rejects Opposition’s condition

Responding to the Opposition’s demand, Leader of the House JP Nadda said the government was not avoiding a discussion and remained open to debating all issues, including the alleged NEET paper leak.

He said the government had already made its position clear and described it as transparent, adding that it was willing to discuss every matter raised by the Opposition.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also reiterated that the Centre had been ready for discussions since the beginning of the Monsoon Session. He said the government had consistently conveyed its willingness to debate the NEET issue and other important matters.

Rijiju added that if the Opposition was looking for reasons to avoid a discussion, it would not be appropriate. According to him, the procedure and timing of the debate would be decided after consultations among all parties under the Chair’s guidance.

Opposition maintains resignation demand

The government also informed the House that its willingness to discuss the issue had been communicated to Congress leaders and representatives of other political parties.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed the Opposition’s stand, saying students were seeking the resignation of the Education Minister before any discussion. He asserted that the resignation should come first, followed by parliamentary debate on the issue.

Akhilesh Yadav also joined Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs during a march towards the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday as part of the protest over the NEET controversy.

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Dharmendra Pradhan accuses Rahul Gandhi of exploiting students over NEET protest

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of exploiting students during the NEET protest, while reiterating the Centre’s commitment to discussing the issue in Parliament and implementing reforms.

Published

4 days ago

on

July 22, 2026

By

Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the protest held outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday, accusing the Opposition of using students for political purposes amid the controversy over the NEET paper leak and other examination-related issues.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Congress leaders and workers staged the protest, raising concerns over the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination leaks. The demonstration also highlighted the alleged police action against students who participated in a march to Parliament organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) a day earlier.

The protest continued until the evening before police detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders. They were later released the same night.

Pradhan says Parliament discussion was offered

Responding to the protest, Mr Pradhan alleged that the Congress was attempting to create disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament by turning students into political tools. He also claimed the demonstration violated security protocols and caused inconvenience to the public.

The minister referred to remarks made by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who had earlier said he spoke with Rahul Gandhi during the protest. According to Mr Singh, the Centre agreed to hold a discussion in Parliament on the paper leak issue, but Rahul Gandhi later added another demand after that assurance.

Mr Pradhan said the government had already expressed its willingness to hold a comprehensive discussion on the issue in Parliament, but alleged that the Congress preferred political confrontation over democratic debate.

Centre reiterates commitment to students

The Education Minister said the government remains committed to discussing the NEET controversy and addressing the concerns of students and young people through Parliament.

In a post on X, Mr Pradhan said students deserve certainty, solutions and accountability rather than political confrontation. He added that the Centre remains committed to delivering reforms and answering students’ concerns while working to strengthen the examination system.

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