Opposition slams Modi over Supreme Court Rafale judgment

New Delhi:The opposition on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Rafale fighter jets deal after the Supreme Court rejected the Centre's preliminary objections on the use of three documents and allowed review petitions to be heard on merit.

Soon after the apex court's judgement allowing documents filed by former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, journalist-turned-politician Arun Shourie and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan to be examined, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "skeletons" in the Rafale deal were tumbling out one by one.

"Modiji, you can run as much as you want, but sooner or later the truth comes out. The skeletons in #RafaleScam are tumbling out one by one. And now there is 'no official secrets act' to hide behind," Surjewala tweeted.

"Supreme Court has upheld a time honoured legal principle. A rattled Modiji had threatened to invoke Official Secrets Act against independent journalists for exposing his corruption on #Rafale. Don't worry Modiji, an investigation is going to take place now, whether you like it or not," he added.

Meanwhile, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury accused the Modi government of "compromising" national security for "corruption and cronyism" in an important defence deal.

"They tried to evade accountability, denied a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), hid price from CAG (Comptroller of Auditor General), tried to first mislead, then stall any hearing in the Supreme Court. Important that culprits are booked.

"Modi and his minions have falsely claimed that they have a "clean chit" in the Rafale scam. But the proofs have come tumbling out one after another. It has been the most corrupt and most compromised government in India's history. Now is the time to throw it out," he tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Supreme Court's judgement has proved that Modi was involved in Rafale corruption.

"Modiji was speaking everywhere that he has got cleanchit in Rafale. Today's Supreme Court judgement has proved that he had done theft in Rafale, cheated the Army, and misled the apex court to hide his crime," Kejriwal tweeted.

BSP chief Mayawati attacked Modi saying his efforts to "hide corruption" in the Rafale deal has "failed". She said Modi should "apologise for lying" in Parliament and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman must resign.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP saying that the party has been destroying institutions that safeguards the Constitution.

"The BJP has made the institutions that protect the Constitution 'hollow'. On one hand, the spinal cord of the Election Commission has been broken, on the other hand, police watches crime being committed as a mute spectator."

The Supreme Court in an unanimous judgment on Wednesday rejected the preliminary objections raised by the central government, as a result the Rafale review petitions will now be heard on merits. The court will look into the documents published.

The court rejected the Centre's claim of privilege over the three documents that were annexed by the former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, journalist Arun Shourie and lawyer Prashant Bhushan in their plea.

The plea sought the recall and review of 2018 judgment giving clean chit to the government for acquiring 36 ready to fly Rafale fighter jets.