SC was misled on Rafale Deal: Former Minister Pallam Raju
Congress wants Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe scam
Mangaluru, Dec 18: Former union minister Pallam Raju said that “The central government has given false information about Rafale Deal to the Supreme Court. So, the Congress has moved Breach of Privilege motion in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The Congress is in favour of probing the deal by the Joint Parliamentary Committee”.
The Rafale Deal was the biggest scam in the history of the Ministry of Defense. HAL was the only company which has 40 years of experience in manufacturing flights for the Defense sector. What was the reason to have an agreement with a private company without considering the HAL? What was the reason to have agreement with the Reliance Defense Company through Rafale by changing the agreement made during the UPA regime for purchasing the fighter jets? Why the fighter jets price was raised by three times? With this, the country has incurred Rs 41,205 crore loss and the Prime Minister has the onus to disclose the deal before the country. PM Modi should disclose as to why the purchase proposal was changed all of a sudden after his France trip. The Prime Minister has clearly violated the DPP norms regarding purchase in the Defense Department, he demanded.
The central government has misled the Supreme Court by giving false information on flights purchase and tried to cover-up the truth. During UPA regime, Rs 526 crore was fixed for one flight, but now, the central government has increased it to Rs 1,670 crore. But the government has not provided information to the Supreme Court. The centre has not maintained transparency and even not given clear picture about the deal to the Opposition members. The HAL had manufactured flights to the Ministry of Defense earlier. But the centre has neglected it and it should disclose the reason for neglecting the public sector unit, he demanded.
Former MLA JR Lobo, MUDA president Suresh Ballal, Congress leaders Kallige Taranath Shetty, Naveen D’Souza, TK Sudheer, Saleem, Arif, Sumanth Raj and others were present.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
