'Shameful' that govt telling SC sensitive Rafale files stolen: D Raja

In 1975, the French Ministry of Aviation initiated studies for a new aircraft to complement the upcoming and smaller Dassault Mirage 2000, with each aircraft optimized for differing roles. The French Ministry of Defence required an aircraft capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground, all-day and adverse weather operations. Unlike other contemporary European fighter projects that required some level of international collaboration and cost-sharing. What came about because of this?

The CPI described as "shameful" the government telling the Supreme Court that sensitive files pertaining to the Rafale fighter jet deal were "stolen", and asked it to respond to the charges made against it, instead of "shooting the messenger".

The government told the Supreme Court that documents related to the Rafale deal have been stolen from the Defence Ministry and threatened The Hindu newspaper with action under the Official Secrets Act for publishing articles based on them.

CPI leader D Raja said, "It is shameful the way the government is telling the Supreme Court that sensitive files pertaining to the Rafale deal have been stolen. The issues of Rafale are in public domain and instead of attacking and shooting the messenger, the government should try and respond to the issues brought out in public domain."

"Rafale has become a huge scam the way the government is defending a private player after letting down the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This is undermining the country's sovereignty and security," he alleged.

In the Supreme Court, Attorney General K K Venugopal said before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that those who put documents on the Rafale deal in the public domain are guilty under the Official Secrets Act as also contempt of court.