CBI Director Removed to Scuttle Rafale Deal Probe: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi also said “just three or four questions” directed at Modi are needed in order to “expose him”.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses a rally in Bidar, Karnataka. File photo.

(Photo: Twitter/@INCIndia)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the media on Thursday, 25 October, alleged that CBI director Alok Verma was sidelined to scuttle the Rafale deal investigations.

Levelling a barrage of attacks on PM Modi and the government regarding the CBI controversy as well as its alleged connection to the Rafale jet deal, Gandhi said every institution will now be used to protect the prime minister over Rafale. Every single Indian citizen is going to find the truth about Rafale, he said.

The appointment and removal of the CBI director is done by a committee of three people – the prime minister, the chief justice of India and leader of Opposition. But at 2 am on Wednesday, the CBI director was sent on leave. Gandhi claimed in his address that this was “an insult to the Constitution, insult to CJI, insult to people of India and is illegal and criminal”.

‘Just 3-4 Questions Needed to Expose Modi’

In what appeared to be a challenge to PM Modi to speak up on the Rafale deal and answer questions, Gandhi said “just three or four questions” directed at Modi are needed in order to “expose him”.

Rahul Living in a Hallucination: Javadekar

The BJP on Thursday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of "spreading falsehood" over the issue of CBI Director Verma and said that he was living in "hallucination".

"Congress has lost all hopes of becoming relevant and it has also lost patience. And therefore in their dreams also they are dreaming only about Rafale. It appears Rahulji is living in hallucination," HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters at the party headquarters.

“He is manufacturing lies on Rafale everyday. Today he came out with two falsehoods. The first falsehood is that the CBI Director was removed but the fact is that he was not removed. He has been sent on leave. No 1 (Verma) and No 2 (Special Director Rakesh Asthana) have been sent on leave,” he said.

The second falsehood was that "Verma was sent on leave because he was inquiring about Rafale". "There is no inquiry. There is no case of inquiry on Rafale. He (Gandhi) says that papers were taken from his office. This is utterly fallacious, malicious and a manufactured lie," he said.

The BJP leader's remarks came soon after the Congress President sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying Verma was "removed in panic" midnight because he was going to begin a probe into the controversial Rafale deal that would have been "suicidal" for Modi.

(With inputs from IANS)