Rahul Gandhi says no one can save Modi from Rafale probe after Alok Verma reinstated

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said nobody could shield Prime Minister Narendra Modi from an investigation into the Rafale deal, on the day CBI Director Alok Verma was restored to his post by the Supreme Court. He claimed the country would learn beyond doubt that Modi had taken Rs 30,000 crore of public money and given it to his friend Anil Ambani.

What Gandhi said

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi alleged that the CBI chief was removed at 1 am because he was about to start investigating the Rafale agreement. “The CBI chief has been reinstated and we have got some relief,” he said. He added that the Prime Minister had avoided a debate and could not escape the issue, and said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had spoken for 2.5 hours in the Lok Sabha on Friday without answering his questions. Sitharaman had accused the Congress of spreading falsehoods on the matter.

The court ruling

The Supreme Court set aside the Centre’s decision to strip Verma of his powers, but barred him from taking major policy decisions until the CVC inquiry into corruption allegations against him was complete.

Background

Soon after Verma was sent on leave in late October, Gandhi accused Modi of removing him to stop him from investigating what the Congress calls the Rafale scam. The party repeatedly made the charge and argued that abruptly removing Verma’s statutory powers, amid a feud with his deputy Rakesh Asthana, was illegal. The government rejected the allegations, saying both senior officers were sent on leave to protect the agency’s integrity.

What happened next

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election the BJP won 303 of 543 seats and the Congress 52, and Modi began a second term on 30 May 2019.

See also: Indian National Congress · Election news

Originally published on 8 January 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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