Congress weighs privilege motion against Nirmala Sitharaman over Rafale deal

The Congress was likely to move a privilege motion in the Lok Sabha against Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on the charge that she misled the House over the Rafale deal, according to a senior party leader on Monday. No decision had been taken on moving such a motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.

The dispute over price

Anand Sharma, a senior Congress leader, told reporters the decision on both motions rested with the party’s leadership in the Lok Sabha. The aircraft’s price has been the main point of contention: the Congress has demanded that it be disclosed, while the government says it cannot do so because of a secrecy clause in its agreement with France.

At a press conference, Sharma claimed that a statement from the French government made clear the price was not covered by the secrecy clause. He said the figure the Defence Minister had disclosed earlier came to an approximate ₹670 crore, which did not add up. He alleged that the same aircraft had been sold to Egypt and Qatar at a lower cost, and that the price had risen from ₹526 crore under the UPA to ₹1670 crore under the Modi government, calling it a scam. He also demanded that the Prime Minister tell Parliament whether the deal was changed after his return from France without informing the CCS.

Antony’s argument

Former Defence Minister A K Antony said he had revealed the prices of many defence contracts in Parliament, since such prices are scrutinised at several levels. He asked how the government could keep the price secret when no agreement required it, and argued that the increase was unjustified because the new deal involved no transfer of technology.

What happened next

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

See also: Indian National Congress, election news

Originally published on 24 July 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us