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Updated: Feb 13, 2019 12:31 IST

Union minister Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on the opposition on Wednesday over its allegations against the government on the Rafale aircraft deal. Jaitley said the report by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, exposed the lies of the opposition.

The CAG report says compared to the UPA government’s deal for 126 Rafale aircraft, India managed to save 17.08% costs for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract by the NDA government. (Follow live updates)

Arun Jaitley said the Congress and its boss Rahul Gandhi can’t always be right and everyone else be wrong. “The lies of ‘mahajhootbandhan’ stand exposed by the CAG report. It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right.” Jaitley tweeted.

Also read:Rafale jets 2.9 per cent cheaper than UPA-era deal, says CAG report tabled in Parliament

He said the NDA’s Rafale deal offered lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance and lower escalation when compared to the one by the UPA government. “Satyameva Jayate – the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum,” Jaitley added.

Hours before the CaG report was tabled in the House, Congress boss Rahul Gandhi, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders protested against the Rafale deal outside Parliament.

Also read: ‘Bluff, bluster and intimidation’: Sonia Gandhi lashes out at Modi govt

Rahul Gandhi tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “defended his personal Rafale bypass deal” with arguments that the new price for the fighter jets is lower than the one proposed during the Congress-led UPA regime and that the delivery will be faster. Citing a media report, Rahul Gandhi said both arguments have been “demolished”.

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had rejected the CAG report and dubbed it “Chowkidar Auditor General” report. The BJP had hit back saying that the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them.

Also read: ‘Demolished’: Rahul Gandhi counters PM Modi over Rafale’s ‘better price, faster delivery’

The Congress has said that the current CAG, Rajiv Mehrishi was part of the decision making process for the Rafale deal. Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was signed. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said, “There is a conflict of interest. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report. The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report.”