LIVE: After Rahul's Middleman Charge Against PM, Jaitley Asks How Many Lies to Sustain Sinking Dynasty

LIVE Updates: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference in Delhi, accusing him for acting like a middleman of businessman Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal after a media report stated that Ambani met French defence officials before the PM announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

Springing to PM’s defence, Arun Jaitley questioned how many more lies will be peddled to save a “sinking dynasty”. He further alleged that many of the senior leaders of the grand old party lack the courage and moral authority to advise the dynasts to “change course”. Defending the Rafale deal, he said where thousands of crores of public money has been saved, a new falsehood was being manufactured on a daily basis.

Gandhi’s attack came a day after the CAG report on the controversial 2015 Rafale jet deal was submitted to the government. It is expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha soon. The Congress, claiming that CAG Rajiv Mehrishi has conflict of interest, says the document will “not be worth” the paper it is written on if the “overt acts of malfeasance” in the contract are ignored in it.

The opposition had turned up the heat on the Narendra Modi government ahead of elections after media reports said the Rafale deal between India and France involved “major and unprecedented” concessions from the Indian government. Former minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has also alleged conflict of interest on the part of CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, asking him to recuse himself from auditing the deal as he was the finance secretary when the deal was negotiated.

The Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, is bracing for chaotic scenes as the controversial Citizenship Bill, which has sparked violence protests in the northeast, awaits passage. The bill provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The government had been hoping that the Bharat Ratna conferred on the late Bhupen Hazarika would placate protesters in Assam, but the legendary singer-composer’s son on Monday lashed out at the Centre, terming the award “short-lived cheap thrill” amid plans to pass the “painfully unpopular” bill.

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