Desperate move by Cong to fabricate facts': Parrikar on Rafale tape'
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane terms the audio clip played by Congress 'doctored', seeks probe.
New Delhi: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday termed the audio clip cited by the Congress on the Rafale deal as a desperate attempt to fabricate facts after the Supreme Court exposed the "lies" of the opposition party. Parrikar's comments came hours after the Congress quoted him as saying that he had a file on Rafale deal "lying in his bedroom".
Reacting to the allegation mounted against him, CM Parrikar tweeted, "The audio clip released by the Congress party is a desperate attempt to fabricate facts after their lies were exposed by the recent Supreme Court verdict on Rafale deal. No such discussion ever came up during Cabinet or any other meeting.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress came out with an audio clip of a purported conversation between Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and another person in which the minister says that during a Goa cabinet meeting last week, Parrikar stated he had "an entire file and all documents" relating to the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom.
Read: ‘What Rafale secrets lying in Manohar Parrikar’s bedroom?’: Cong to PM Modi
Congress also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked if this was a reason that a joint parliamentary committee was not ordered to probe the matter.
Meanwhile, Goa minister Vishwajit Rane has termed the audio clip as "doctored" and told BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday that he has asked the state government to order an inquiry into the matter.
In a letter to Shah, Rane said he never had any conversation with anyone on Rafale issue.
According to BJP sources, Rane said, "I have also sent a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asking for an immediate police inquiry and criminal investigation to expose the mischievous elements."
Rane also said,"...this is a doctored audio and have never had any discussion with this regard on this subject with anyone."
Rane also wrote a letter to Parrikar saying "I would like to...inform the chief minister that there is someone playing mischief and there should be inquiry in this matter and such mischievous elements need to be brought to the books."
He also sought a thorough probe into the matter to bring the accused to the book.
Parrikar was the defence minister when the Rafale deal was signed between India and France for purchase of fighter aircraft.
On December 14 last year, the apex court had dismissed all PILs alleging irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France.