DNA Exclusive: NCP chief Sharad Pawar breaks silence over Rafale 'clean chit' to PM Modi

Faced with an open revolt from within his party for supporting Prime Minister Modi over the Rafale deal, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday insisted he was being quoted out of context. 

(Photo: PTI)

“At the outset, let me say this – I did not give anyone any clean chit. Who am I to do so? In the same interview, I had also insisted on a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for Rafale deal. I had voiced the need to make public the purchase price of jets,” Pawar told DNA over phone. 

(Photo: PTI)

Pawar said that the Communist Party of India leader Sitaram Yechury had called him to say he had read the interview and there was nothing wrong in what he had said. 

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When asked if his statement will have any repercussions on the Opposition unity, Pawar said, “The question simply did not arise because I had never made any such statements.”

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“It is a sad day for us as our senior colleague has left us. It’s very surprising because he has based his resignation based on a news channel interview where facts are very clear on Rafale deal. Before taking such a drastic step, he should have spoken to Pawar,” senior NCP leader Praful Patel said.

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Pawar’s daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule tweeted saying Pawar was being misquoted. 

“He raised three questions: 1) What is the justification for a 300 per cent price increase from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1670 crore which potentially could be a significant loss to the exchequer? 2) When BJP raised both price and specification issues during Bofors allegations, then why are they hiding behind artificial justification of secrecy of agreements vis-à-vis both commercial price and offset agreements? 3) If such doubts have been raised and the government is so confident, then why are they shying from setting up a JPC?” Sule said on Twitter.

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According to Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, Pawar clarified to Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge that he had not made any such statement as the NCP favoured the demand for a JPC probe into the deal.

Surjewala said the NCP chief held detailed discussion with Kharge and made it clear that "this is untrue and unfounded".

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Surjewala dubbed media reports about Pawar giving "clean chit" to PM Modi in the Rafale deal as "false and unfounded". "It is a conspiracy being hatched to create a rift between the parties," Surjewala told reporters.

"Pawar-ji also expressed surprise that those who hatched the Bofors conspiracy on one false statement, why they are fearing from giving a reply on the price of Rafale aircraft and the JPC is the only answer to it," Surjewala said.

Photo: Dassault Aviation