Rafale deal: Is Rahul Gandhi above Supreme Court, asks Ravi Shankar Prasad

The BJP Friday accused Rahul Gandhi of "almost condemning" the Supreme Court for dismissing the pleas challenging the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, and said the Congress president crossed all limits of propriety, decency and probity in public life.

Union Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a counter-attack on Gandhi, saying the apex court had "exposed his lies" which he has been using to attack the "honest and popular" prime minister.

With Gandhi reiterating his "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is thief) barb against PM Narendra Modi, Prasad dubbed his remarks "shameful" and "cheap", and accused him of using an abuse against the prime minister.

Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi are themselves facing a trial on corruption charges, he said, referring to the National Herald case against them.

The BJP expected that Rahul Gandhi would accept the Supreme Court's verdict but it did not happen, Prasad said.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) crossed all limits of propriety, decency and probity in public life by almost condemning the Supreme Court. What does he mean? Is he above the Supreme Court? Is the Congress above the Supreme Court? What kind of language is this?" he asked.

Prasad said Rahul Gandhi's problem is his arrogance and conceit about his dynasty.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court's verdict on the Rafale deal, Rahul Gandhi on Friday maintained that there was massive corruption in the contract and wondered why the CAG report "cited by the Supreme Court" on it had not yet been shared with the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.