Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called Rahul Gandhi a “clown prince” with a point-by-point rebuttal to various charges levelled by the Congress president at the Modi government.

In a Facebook blog on Tuesday, Jaitley slammed Gandhi for “building false narratives” on different issues in an attempt to corner the government, including charges on Rafale deal and Nirav Modi.

Referring to Gandhi’s allegation that absconding bank fraudster Vijay Mallya told Jaitley that he was flying to London, the Union minister said, “How does he concoct this falsehood?”

“At the Hindustan Times Summit, he referred to a meeting he had with me and attributed same statements to me. When asked I merely said that ‘I can’t answer hallucinations. I am in the distinguished company of President Macron’. Today I feel it is much more than hallucinations. Is it a personality issue where he lies a dozen times and then in self delusion believes it to be true or is it a case of a ‘Clown Prince’ out-clowning himself?” he wrote.

Jaitley also posted a video clip of Gandhi’s addresses in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh wherein the Congress chief alleged that absconding liquor baron and fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi had met the Union minister before fleeing the country.

“I do not recollect ever having even seen Nirav Modi in my life. The question of his meeting me in Parliament does not arise. If he came to Parliament, as Rahul Gandhi claims, then the reception records will show that. Where have I admitted all this Mr Gandhi?” asked Jaitley.

Countering the Congress charges of a private entity becoming an offset partner in the Rafale deal, Jaitley  wrote that the Rafale aircraft and its weaponry is not being manufactured in India at all, neither by Dassault nor by any private company.

“After the supplies begin, Dassault has to make purchases in India for 50 per cent of the contract value. These supplies to Dassault are to be made by over 120 offset suppliers and the business house named is one of them. Dassault has said that only 3 per cent of offset may come to that business house, which is less than Rs 1,000 crore,” Jaitley said in his blog.

The Finance Minister also claimed that the Goods and Services Tax had enabled India become one market.

Countering Gandhi’s charge on NPA, Jaitley said the Congress president has built a false narrative of the PM having waived the loan of his 15 friends.

“Loans were given during the UPA period. Not a single Rupee has been waived. The Promotors of the defaulting companies have been thrown out through the IBC, and banks are successfully recovering their dues. Through the process of NCLT banks are recovering their loans,” he wrote.

Recalling a lesson experienced lawyers teach young lawyers, Jaitley said that the best course of action when one is weak in both law and facts is to “bang the desk”.

“Those who advise Rahul Gandhi appear to have persuaded him that he is cut out only for the third option,” he wrote, adding, “Since beating the desk itself would not suffice, it has to be accompanied with a new narrative. If the factual narrative does not suit him then concoct an alternative. Repeat the false narrative a dozen times and convince yourself that falsehood is in fact is the truth. Thereafter, you can comfortably live in self-delusion.”