No JPC probe of Rafale, 'disruptors' have lost: Jaitley attacks Congress

'The deaf will never hear an answer,' says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after Supreme Court rejects pleas demanding Rafale deal probe

The government on Friday rejected the Congress party’s demand that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe the Rafale fighter jet deal, responding after Supreme Court rejected petitions seeking an investigation.

“The deaf will never hear an answer,” said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a press conference in Delhi, referring to the Congress. “Deals like Rafale cannot be reviewed in a body of partisan divisions, it can only be done in a court of law."

He said "disrupters" have lost on all counts and those who manufactured falsehood compromised the security of the country.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi earlier in the day had said the top court will not examine the deal and said that an individual petitioner’s doubts about the deal are not enough to prompt a probe into the $8.7 billion aircraft purchase. They court accepted the government’s explanations on the decision-making process.

Jaitley said Congress president Rahul Gandhi allegations about the deal were. "All the figures by the government are correct and all the figures by Mr Rahul Gandhi are false and I have justified it... The truth has only one version and falsehood has many. That is why Mr Rahul Gandhi quoted several figures," he said.

"Rafale deal has protected both security and commercial interest of India. Allegations on Rafale was fiction writing that was compromising national security." 

The matter of Rafale deal has been put to rest through the apex court's order, said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who briefed the press conference along with Jaitley.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, who spoke separately, said Gandhi should apologise for “lying” about the Rafale deal.

The Congress had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of corruption in the deal to buy 36 Rafale planes and a decision to pick Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence as an offset partner.