Govt trying to create a 'smokescreen' and 'cloud' the issue: Cong leader on Rafale deal

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari Sunday accused the Union government of creating a "smokescreen" around the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal with French firm Dassault Aviation.

Tewari hurled the allegation hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out scrapping of the Rafale deal, saying the jet fighters are needed by the defence forces and that even French Francois Hollande has subsequently contradicted his purported initial statement on the deal. Reacting to Jaitely's statements on television, Tewari said If at all, anybody needs to answer on Rafale transactions, it is Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi or former Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar or current Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) who is seized of the issue."
Attacking Jaitley, Tewari said, "The minister by the standards of his usually very stretched logic has ended up saying something on Sunday morning, which is nothing less than bizarre."
Alleging a "cover up" in the case, Tewari said "it is high time Prime Minister and his various ministers come clean and tell the nation as to what exactly are the facts of this particular ) transaction."