New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday, a day after reiterating his party’s claim that the latter is in possession of "explosive secrets" pertaining to the Rafale jet deal.
Gandhi, who is on a 3-day vacation in the coastal state, met Parrikar at his office. Tweeting later, Gandhi said the visit was a personal one to wish Parrikar a speedy recovery.
The Congress has alleged that former defence minister Parrikar had managed to hold onto the CM’s chair despite suffering from a pancreatic ailment since last year as he was in possession of “some Rafale files". The party has cited an audio tape in which Goa minister Vishwajit Rane was purportedly heard telling an unidentified person the same.
"30 days since the Goa Audio Tapes on RAFALE were released. No FIR or enquiry ordered. No action against the Minister either!" Rahul Gandhi had tweeted.
"It's obvious that the tapes are authentic & that Goa CM, Parrikar, is in possession of explosive Rafale secrets, that give him power over the PM," Gandhi said.
A war of words had erupted between the Congress and the BJP over Parrikar's purported claim that he had a file on the Rafale jet deal "lying in his bedroom".
In the clip released by the Congress, Rane was purportedly heard saying that during a Goa cabinet meeting, Parrikar stated he had an entire file and all documents relating to the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom.
Gandhi had also made an attempt in Lok Sabha's Winter Session to play an audio tape. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the tape was "false and fabricated", and asked the Congress president if he could authenticate it.
Parrikar, on his part, had termed the audio clip as a desperate attempt to fabricate facts.
The Congress, which has alleged corruption and favouritism in the Rafale deal and accused the prime minister for it.
The government has denied the charges levelled by the Congress and said the deal is clean, without any corruption or middlemen.
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