The Congress on Monday accused the government of misleading the nation on the Rafale Deal, calling it a matter of "breach of privilege".
Rahul Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha on Friday, had accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of lying to the nation quoting the 'secrecy clause' in the Rafale deal.
The Congress on Monday accused the government of misleading the nation on the Rafale Deal, calling it a matter of "breach of privilege".
The party maintained there was no clause in a 2008 pact between India and France that prevents the government from divulging price details of the Rafale deal.
Party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the alleged misinformation is clearly a "matter of breach of privilege."
Former defence minister and senior Congress leader A K Antony said the government has to reveal price details of each aircraft and cannot hide price details of Rafale deal as it has to be scrutinised by CAG and Public Accounts Committee.
"Indo-French pact of 2008 doesn't mention that commercial cost of procurement relating to defence deal can't be revealed," he said.
Addressing a press conference, his colleague Anand Sharma added that the government owes Parliament an explanation on why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "misled" the nation on the price issue.
Antony said the Congress stands by party president Rahul Gandhi's claims that the French President Emmanuel Macron told him that the government there has no objection in revealing price of Rafale aircraft
Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha on Friday, had accused Sitharaman of lying to the nation quoting the 'secrecy clause' in the pact.
"Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier said that she will tell the country about the cost. However, later she said it's a secrecy pact between both the countries (India and France). I asked the French President about this secrecy pact, but he denied the existence of any such pact. He even told me that he has no issues in making the cost public," he said.
Replying to the allegations Sitharaman had said Gandhi was misleading the House. She added that a Secrecy Agreement with France was signed in 2008 (under the Congress-led government) and the Rafale deal was also covered in it.
Four members of the BJP had then moved a privilige motion against Gandhi for allegedly making "insubstantial claims against the BJP, particularly against the Prime Minister on Rafale deal.
The NDA government had signed a deal with France based Dassault Aviation to purchase 36 Rafale jets, which is slated to be one of the world's biggest military procurements in recent history and could cost the Indian government USD 15 billion.
(Inputs from PTI)