'Independent' CBI should raid Prime Minister's Office: Kejriwal on Rafale report

An "independent" CBI should raid the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), seize files and make arrests in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Friday.

His party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said he will file a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in light of the new "expose" on Rafale deal.

"In the light of today's expose on Rafale, 'independent' CBI shud raid PMO, seize all the files related to Rafale and make arrests just like they raided my office and residence and Kolkatta police commissioner(sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

The AAP's attack came after a report was published by The Hindu newspaper on Friday which claimed the Defence Ministry raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal between India and France.

 

Singh maintained that his party was the first to flag Rafale deal "scam" as he cited a letter written by him to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner(CVC), the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) and the CAG last year.

"The truth that has come to the fore now has exposed real the face of Modi. We have been saying from day first that there is a scam of Rs 36,000 crore," Singh alleged at a press conference.

Singh said he will file a complain at the North Avenue police station against Modi in connection with the emerging "facts" in the matter.

"If police does not register a case, we will approach the court," he said.

Singh was one of the petitioners before the Supreme Court, seeking a probe in the alleged "scam" in the Rafale deal.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP ND Gupta demanded seizure of all documents quoted by The Hindu newspaper by the CBI so that no "tampering" is done to "dilute the seriousness" of the matter.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the PMO was directly involved in negotiations with the French on the Rafale deal and the prime minister was guilty in the "scam".

The Rafale deal issue rocked the Lok Sabha as well, with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissing the media report as "flogging a dead horse" and slamming the opposition for playing into the hands of vested interests.