SC ruling on Rafale opened huge door for investigation: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress leader suggested that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) must also be set up to probe the 'Rafale scam.'

"Justice Joseph of the Supreme Court has opened a huge door into investigation of the RAFALE scam. An investigation must now begin in full earnest. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) must also be set up to probe this scam," Rahul wrote in a tweet.

In a huge blow to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed review petitions- filed by former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan- on its own Dec 2018 judgement which had rejected all the pleas which sought a probe into the Rafale deal.

In their petitions, Sinha, Shourie and Bhushan had said the 2018 judgement was given based on "incorrect claims" which were made by the Centre in an "unsigned note".

Though Congress leader Sushmita Dev even after the Supreme Court's Thursday verdict told IBNS that "we stand by what we have said," the BJP seized the opportunity to attack the Congress which had tried to make the Rafale deal an issue in the 2019 General Elections under its then president Rahul Gandhi.

Asking Rahul to apologise to people of the country, Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi and Congress were defeated in the Supreme Court last year, in the Lok Sabha polls and then now."

"The whole campaign of malign is shrouded in deeply suspicious circumstances. Congress has a chequered history of taking a sub-contract in a defence contract," the senior BJP leader added.

On the other hand, the contempt case filed by BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi against Rahul over his "chowkidar chor hai" remark was closed by the apex court which has, however, warned the 49-year old Wayanad MP saying people holding constitutional posts should be careful in making remarks.

During a media interaction in Amethi in April this year, Rahul had claimed that the apex court's order has made it 'clear' that 'chowkidar chor hai' (Prime Minister is corrupt) in its Rafale order.

Challenging this statement, Lekhi had filed a plea before the apex court and sought criminal contempt against Rahul for his alleged derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister.

Earlier in an affidavit, Rahul had stated that he is apologising for attributing his "chowkidar chor hai" remark to the court and further requested dropping of contempt proceedings against him. 

In a much subdued voice compared to Wednesday, lawyer and Congress leader, Abhishek Singhvi, said, "We accept that such words should not have been uttered. But Rahul Gandhi never intended to call the Prime Minister corrupt. All he wanted is to make a political statement."

Attacking Rahul for calling the Prime Minister a corrupt even after the Supreme Court's 2018 verdict, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi had said that the SC had called our beloved PM a thief. It is indeed the lowest point of political discourse that Mr. Gandhi, then Congress President, stooped to the shameful extent of misquoting the SC deliberately and consciously."