TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has asked his party colleagues to not stop or be afraid of fighting against the “corrupt” central government as truth was with them in every step.
His remarks came a day after a French investigative journal Mediapart made fresh claims that alleged bogus invoices were used that enabled French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation to pay at least 7.5 million euros in secret commissions to a middleman to help it secure the Rafale deal with India.
There was no reaction yet from the defence ministry or Dassault Aviation on the latest report. “When the truth is with you in every step, then what is there to worry about? My Congress colleagues – keep fighting like this against the corrupt central government. Don’t stop, don’t get tired, don’t be afraid,” Mr Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag “#RafaleScam”.
According to Mediapart’s investigation, Dassault Aviation paid the kickbacks to the intermediary in Mauritius between 2007 and 2012. Mediapart had reported in July that a French judge has been appointed to lead a “highly sensitive” judicial investigation into suspected corruption” and favouritism in the ₹ 59,000-crore inter-governmental deal with India for the supply of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
