The Congress party, which has been going against the Modi government with all guns blazing over the Rafale deal, has curiously distanced itself from its own most vocal supporter and former media cell leader Tehseen Poonawalla, who is a close relative of Robert Vadra.
https://twitter.com/amitmalviya/status/1040138812201082880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In a press release by Anoop George Chaudhary from the AICC legal cell, the Supreme Court unit of the AICC has clarified that they have nothing to do with the PIL filed by Poonawalla over the Rafale issue. The press release states that Poonawalla’s PIL seeks for the disclosure of the renegotiated price of the Rafale deal and the party explicitly denied any involvement in the PIL as it has been filed on Poonawalla’s individual capacity.
The press release goes further to insist that the Congress party does not have even the ‘remotest’ connection with the PIL or Poonawalla and the party thinks that the apex court is not the forum for raising such issues. The letter concludes by reasserting that the party in no way can be linked to Poonawalla or his PIL.
It is notable here that Tehseen Poonawalla, who is a vocal supporter of the Congress party and the brother-in-law of Robert Vadra, had filed a PIL in the SC seeking the disclosure of the renegotiated Rafale deal in March 2018. While the Congress party has been incessantly attacking the government over the deal alleging that corruption has taken place and the deal was done to benefit Anil Ambani’s firm, the abrupt announcement of distancing itself from Poonawalla’s PIL is being questioned by many on social media. People have questioned whether the party is distancing itself because its own hidden dealings while negotiating the old Rafale deal will tumble out details are brought out.
https://twitter.com/muglikar_/status/1040152757146013696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Another PIL filed by advocate ML Sharma over the Rafale deal is slated for a hearing this week. The PIL seeks a SIT probe into the Rafale deal signed between Indian and French governments.