Rahul Gandhi: Dassault CEO's claims are manufactured lies

Activists of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee protest against the Rafale fighter jet deal, in Guwahati. File Pic/AFP

The political row over the Rafale deal escalated on Tuesday with the Congress dismissing as "manufactured lies" claims by the Dassault CEO that there was no wrong-doing and party Chief Rahul Gandhi firing a fresh salvo at PM Narendra Modi. Party leaders Randeep Surjewala and Anand Sharma joined Gandhi in accusing the government of a "cover-up".

The nation needs a "fair probe" and not "doctored explanations" on the fighter jet deal, Congress Chief Spokesperson Surjewala said. He was responding to Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier's defence of the contract in a media interview. Trappier has claimed no wrongdoing in the '58,000 crore deal asserting it was a "clean deal".

"Dictated interviews and manufactured lies cannot cover up corruption. The firstrule of law is mutual beneficiaries and the co-accused's statements hold no value. The second rule is beneficiaries and accused cannot be a judge in their own case. Truth has a way of coming out. Modi, the nation does not want doctored explanations," Surjewala said.

'I don't lie,' says Dassault CEO
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier in an interview to ANI rubbished allegations made by Rahul Gandhi that the former lied about the details of the Dassault-Reliance venture. "The statements I made are true. I don't have a reputation of lying. In my position, you don't lie," said Trappier.

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