Gandhi who on Tuesday paid a personal visit to Parrikar had said that the Goa chief minister had nothing to do with the new Rafale deal that was finalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. (Photo: Twitter | @goacm)
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday wrote to Congress President Rahul Gandhi slamming him for using his visit to inquire about Parrikar’s health for “petty political gains”.
“I feel let down,” wrote Parrikar who said that in the five-minute meeting, neither did any of the two leaders mention about the Rafale fighter jet deal.
Goa CM Shri @manoharparrikar on false claims made by Mr. Rahul Gandhi, “I feel let down that you have used this visit for your petty political gains. In the 5 minutes you spent with me, neither did you mention anything about Rafale, nor did we discuss anything related to it.” pic.twitter.com/77DGqKhoql
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— BJP (@BJP4India) January 30, 2019
Parrikar further he said he received Gandhi’s visit — who according to the CM without any prior information, called on him and enquired about his health condition — in a healthy political spirit.
Reiterating his earlier statements, Parrikar said the Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) and the procurement of the Rafale jets were as per the Defence Procurement Procedure.
The fighter aircraft was procured following all stated procedures keeping national security as the top priority, he said.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress chief, the ailing minister said that paying a courtesy visit and then stooping so low to make a false statement for petty political gains has raised questions on the sincerity and purpose of the visit.
On an ending note, Parrikar said that he was disappointed that Rahul Gandhi had used the visit to feed political opportunism.
Gandhi who on Tuesday paid a personal visit to Parrikar to wish him recovery had said that the Goa chief minister had nothing to do with the new Rafale deal that was finalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gandhi, however, did not clarify whether the Rafale deal was discussed during his meet with Parrikar.
The unexpected meeting came days after the Congress claimed that Parrikar is in the possession of sensitive files related to the Rafale deal and they are stacked in his bedroom.
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