Rahul targeting Modi over Rafale because of IT probe in NH case: Prasad
New Delhi, Aug 13 : The BJP on Monday hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying he was spreading a "blatant lie" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over alleged corruption in the Rafale deal to escape the income tax department inquiry against him related to the National Herald case.
Addressing a press conference her, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Rafale deal was completely transparent and honestly executed between two heads of government and its price is nine per cent less than what was negotiated under the UPA government.
"Let the country know as to how upon a mere transfer of Rs 50 lakh, the AICC transferred the entire liability of Rs 90 crore to the Young India company which was a majority company owned by two individuals Sonia ji and Rahul Gandhi," he said.
"And how is it by that process the entire property of Associated Journal comes to be owned by Young India company again owned by two individual, substantially. Rest very minority shareholder," he added.
The BJP leader said the real reason behind Rahul Gandhi's accusation was that the Income Tax Department has been seeking a revision for financial year 2011-12 related to the transactions between the National Herald and Young India Pvt Ltd (YI).
"If Rahul Gandhi thinks that by accusing Modi and his government of corruption, the action against him is going to get away, he is mistaken. It is not going to happen," Prasad said claiming that the Congress President was liable to pay Rs 154 crore.
Rahul Gandhi has moved the court challenging a notice issued against him by the Income Tax Department seeking to re-open his tax assessment for financial year 2011-12 related to the transactions between National Herald and Young India Pvt Ltd (YI). He and his mother Sonia Gandhi are major stakeholders in Young India which has acquired Associated Journals Limited (AJL). National Herald newspaper was published by AJL.
Prasad said that there was a design behind Rahul Gandhi's "reckless, baseless and false" accusations and refuted it, saying "The Rafael deal was completely transparent and honestly executed between two heads of government."
Slamming the Congress President for continuously speaking a lie inside Parliament and repeating the same outside Parliament, Prasad said that the price of the Rafale deal during the NDA government was 9 percent less than what was negotiated under the UPA government.
Justifying the government's stand on non-disclosure of the price in the Rafale deal, he mentioned several answers given by former Defence Ministers A. K. Antony and Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament.
"For 10 years your defence ministers repeatedly telling on the floor of the house that secret weapon acquisition and its pricing cannot be revealed under national interest and security interest. You don't deny it. Then you repeat the same lie. This is irresponsible and against national interest. How long will you ignore national interest for the sake of your propaganda," he said.
Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the Prime Minister and his government over the Rafale deal with France and asking why a 70-year-old defence public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was ignored for manufacturing the fighter jet.
Gandhi has also questioned how the cost of one aircraft, which was Rs 540 crore when the UPA government had signed the deal, rose to thrice its value to Rs 1,600 crore under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.
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Unnao rape case: SC defers hearing on CBI's plea against suspension of Sengar's life term
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to the first week of May the hearing on a petition filed by the CBI challenging the suspension of life imprisonment of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sura Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the matter will be taken up after a nine-judge bench completes hearing on the Sabarimala review proceedings.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Sengar, raised the issue of non-hearing of the pleas in another case related to the alleged custodial death of the victim's father in the Delhi High Court and said that a 10-year jail term was handed down to Sengar in that case.
"Ten years is likely to be completed soon and yet no substantial hearing has taken place in the high court. I should get bail in this matter," he said.
It was alleged by him that even the victim's lawyer is taking adjournments in the high court.
Lawyer Mehmood Pracha, counsel for the victim, said that only one adjournment has been sought in the high court.
The CJI noted the consent of both sides that no adjournment will be sought in the Delhi High Court in another case involving Sengar as one of the accused.
"The lawyers will extend full cooperation (in the HC)," the CJI said.
On December 29, last year, the top court stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and said he shall not be released from custody.
The bench, hearing the CBI's plea challenging the high court order, said that substantial questions of law have arisen in the matter that require consideration.
The apex court had also issued notice to Sengar seeking his response on the CBI's plea.
The bench said it was conscious of the fact that ordinarily, when a convict or an undertrial was released on bail pursuant to an order passed by a trial court or the high court, such an order should not be stayed by it without hearing such a person.
It noted that Sengar was also convicted and sentenced in a separate case and was still in custody in that matter.
"In the peculiar circumstances of the case, we stay the operation of the impugned order dated December 23, 2025, passed by the high court. Consequently, the respondent (Sengar) shall not be released from custody pursuant to the said order," the bench had said.
The top court said various substantial questions of law have arisen for its consideration in the matter.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, urged the bench to stay the high court order, saying it was a "horrific rape" of a minor child.
The Delhi High Court had, in its December 23, 2025, order, said that Sengar has been convicted under Section 5 (C) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault by a public servant) of the POCSO Act but an elected representative does not fit the definition of a "public servant" under Section 21 of the IPC.
The high court had suspended the jail term of Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, till the pendency of his appeal, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
The high court order has sparked criticism from a section and there have been protests by the victim, her family and activists.
Sengar had challenged a December 2019 trial court verdict in the case. He had, however, remained in jail since he was also serving 10 years' imprisonment in the custodial death case of the victim's father and has not been granted bail in that case.
The rape case and other connected cases were transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2019.
Sengar's appeal against his conviction in the case of the custodial death of the survivor's father is also pending, where he has sought suspension of sentence on the ground that he has already spent a substantial time in jail.
In its plea filed in the apex court, the CBI referred to its verdict in the L K Advani case in which it held that anyone who holds public office, like MPs or MLAs, would be deemed a "public servant".
It contended that the high court erred by declaring that Sengar, an MLA when the offence was committed, was not a "public servant" to be prosecuted under POCSO and granted him bail.
