<p><strong>New Delhi: </strong>The Congress party has once again raised the demand to conduct a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Rafale deal.</p> <p>Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed that Congress and its former president Rahul Gandhi's statements about corruption in the Rafale deal have been proven.</p> <p>"French website 'Mediapart' has made public all the evidence in the Reliance-Dassault deal. Modi Government's 'sweetheart' deal (Rafale Deal) is clear. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi allow Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation now?" he questioned.</p> <p>The Congress party's fresh salvo comes after reports stated that a criminal investigation has been opened into the 2016 Rafale deal signed with India for the sale of 36 Dassault-built fighter jets.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ |<span style="color: #e03e2d;"> <a style="color: #e03e2d;" title="" href="https://ift.tt/3xrW5jS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-toggle="tooltip" data-html="true" data-original-title="Story ID: 1467192">'Not A Supporting Role Alone': Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria Responds To Gen Rawat's Comment On IAF</a></span></strong></p> <p>Congress has been stating from the beginning that the Supreme Court cannot investigate this matter and hence, the party did not go to the Supreme Court, Surjewala said.</p> <p>The party maintains that the deal should be investigated through JPC.</p> <p>The Congress spokesperson hinted at a plan to raise this matter in the upcoming Parliament session, saying "we will raise this matter related to national security inside and outside Parliament".</p> <p>Responding to this, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference wherein he termed Congress's claims about the Rafale deal as lies. He said that the party and its former president have been lying to people be it about French President Emmanuel Macron's statement or meetings with CCS.</p> <p>Congress and Rahul Gandhi have been quoting different figures while alleging corruption in Rafale deal, he said.</p> <p>The matter of Rafale deal with France becomes the eye of controversy from time to time. This time, the issue has been stoked after reports of an investigation being opened into the Rafale deal came in. The pact was signed between France and India in 2016 for the sale of 36 Dassault-built fighter jets.</p> <p>French publication Mediapart on Friday reported that the criminal investigation will be conducted under the leadership of an independent magistrate "who will, among other elements, examine questions surrounding the actions of former French president Fran&ccedil;ois Hollande".</p> <p>Former French president Hollande was in office when the Rafale deal was finalised, while the current French president Emmanuel Macron was Hollande&rsquo;s economy and finance minister at that time.</p> <p>The financial crimes branch of the French public prosecution services (PNF) has stated that the investigation will look into allegations of corruption and favouritism in the pact for 36 fighter planes between the Indian government and French aircraft manufacturer Dassault.</p>

source https://news.abplive.com/news/india/rafale-deal-congress-demands-jpc-probe-bjp-terms-claims-as-lies-after-reports-of-investigation-in-france-1467198