Row over Congress’s ‘Manohar Parrikar’ tape on Rafale deal

The Congress on Tuesday came up with an audio tape in which Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane was purportedly talking to a mystery man, where Rane claimed that Goa CM Manohar Parrikar told the Goa Cabinet that “each and every document” of Rafale is in his bedroom. Party president Rahul Gandhi said there might be “other tapes of this nature.” He further dared PM Modi to come and have an open debate with him for 20 minutes on Rafale. 

“The entire Cabinet heard what Mr Parrikar said and essentially he is threatening the Prime Minister because he has information about the Rafale deal,” Gandhi said. “He is clearly saying that Parrikar has said in a cabinet meeting that he has all the files on Rafale and that no one can disturb me.” 

Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala released the tape and its transcript where Rane is purportedly heard telling the unidentified man that Parrikar told the Goa Cabinet that “all the information of Rafale in my bedroom.”

“This means he’s holding them to ransom. Now whether he wanted somebody to go and inform them in Delhi, or what... I didn’t understand,” Rane was heard saying in the unverified audio. Parrikar later dismissed the tapes and called them false and fabricated.