Manohar Parrikar was buying fish when PM Modi changed Rafale contract: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday launched yet another scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, saying that former defence minister Manohar Parrikar was unaware about Prime Minister Narendra Modi changing the Rafale contract.

While addressing a public rally in Saundatti ahead of state assembly elections, the Congress president claimed that Parrikar was buying fish in Goa when the deal was changed. 

"The former defence minister was in Goa buying fish from a shop ... he did not even know that Modi ji had changed the contract of the Rafale deal," he said.

Rahul had earlier slammed Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman for changing her stance on revealing the cost of Rafale fighter jets.

Gandhi informed that he had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi three questions in connection with the Rafale deal during the parliamentary session but received no answer.

"I asked the Prime Minister three questions - cost of jets, if they asked Cabinet Committee on Security about it and why was the contract snatched from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and given to a businessman? But got no answers."

Gandhi further said that the Prime Minister gave a long speech in the Rajya Sabha, but wasn't interested in answering fundamental questions.

He intensified his attack on PM Modi saying the Rafale fighter jet deal was the biggest issue of corruption in the country now.