BJP CMs, Union Ministers to ‘Unmask’ Congress in Over 70 Cities Over Rafale Allegations

New Delhi: Rattled by the relentless attack on the Centre by the Congress over the Rafale deal issue, the BJP will deploy its top leaders, including chief ministers and Union ministers, in 70 cities across the country on Monday to attack the opposition party.

"The BJP will unmask the Congress' conspiracy against the government and its attempt to play with national security after the Supreme Court has categorically stated the truth about that the Rafale deal," the party's media head and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni said.

Armed with the SC judgment that said that there is no reason to doubt the process (of the deal), Baluni said the top court has "nailed the lie" of those levelling allegations against the government over the fighter aircraft contract.

Sources said Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadanvis, Vijay Rupani, Sarbananda Sonowal, its chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam, respectively, will address the media in Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Agartala respectively.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Jaavdekar, J P Nadda, Smriti Irani, Suresh Prabhu, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and party's organisational leaders will also speak to the media on Monday at different places.

Following the judgment, BJP president Amit Shah has sought an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi who, however, stuck to his guns and alleged corruption in the deal. The party also reiterated its demand for a JPC probe.

The party’s chief spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala, said the Congress had stated earlier that the Rafale issue cannot be decided by the Supreme Court, and the alleged corruption in the defence contract can only be brought out by a JPC after examining the files and notings in the contract.

"The verdict of the Supreme Court is a validation of what the Congress party stated months ago that the Supreme Court is not the forum to decide such sensitive defence contracts," he told reporters.

The Congress leader also alleged that the government gave a "one-sided half-baked information to the Supreme Court which has not been scrutinised by anyone".