New Delhi: Stepping up its attack on the Rafale issue, the Congress on Sunday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi "violated" the oath of confidentiality, with Rahul Gandhi asking him and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to "stop lying".
The Congress president said it is time the finance minister and the prime minister call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe for an "uncorrupted truth" to come out in the Rafale deal.
Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma accused the prime minister of having "betrayed" the country and demanded that he respond to the charges made in connection with the deal instead of fielding his ministers.
"My direct charge is that the prime minister violated the oath of confidentiality. Only he could have told Anil Ambani that HAL will be out and he will strike a deal to buy 36 jets and you (Ambani) go and talk to Dassault Aviation (the makers of Rafale jet)," Sharma told reporters at a news conference.
"Why is the prime minister, who speaks on every issue, quiet. The one who is supposed to speak is quiet (maun vratt). When the charges are directly against him, no one can speak on his behalf," the deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha said.
Attacking the government on the issue, Gandhi accused Jaitley of having the ability to spin "2 truths or lies" with "fake self-righteousness" and "indignation to defend the indefensible".
"Mr Jetlie's speciality is his ability to spin '2 truths', or lies, with fake self righteousness and indignation to defend the indefensible. It's high time he, the RM and our PM stop lying and call a JPC to establish the full, uncorrupted truth about the Rafale Scam (sic)," Gandhi tweeted.
He also tagged a media report highlighting how former French president Francois Hollande's charges have hit the Modi government on the Rafale issue.
In a press conference, Sharma threatened of criminal cases after a thorough probe into the entire deal if the Congress came to power, claiming that Modi will not be the prime minister in 2019 election.
Sharma said the question is how could have the Government of France or former French President Francois Hollande or the Dassault company decided that HAL will be out.
The deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha said, it is clear that the finance minister, defence minister, law minister have joined in a competition "to lie to defend our prime minister who is directly complicit" and there cannot be any other explanation.