Rafale secrets tumbling out of Parrikar’s bedroom: Goa Congress

The Goa Congress on Friday made a renewed pitch for a probe into the contents of an audio tape, in which Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had claimed that former Defence minister Manohar Parrikar had stashed files related to the Rafale deal in his bedroom.

State Congress President Girish Chodankar said that only a joint parliamentary committee probe would help get to the bottom of the matter.

"The Rafale files, which according to the Goa Health Minister are in Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's bedroom are tumbling out one by one. A JPC probe will bring all these aspects out into the open and confirm the contents of the audio tape," Chodankar said.

An audio clip featuring Rane and a local journalist - where the former claimed that Parrikar had in a December 20, 2018, cabinet meeting admitted to possessing a stash of files related to the Rafale deal - had created an uproar in Parliament during the winter session in January.

Rane later claimed that the tape was "doctored", while Parrikar maintained that no such conversation occurred during the cabinet meeting.

Chodankar said the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were "running away" from a JPC, was the fear of more secrets coming out.

"The JPC, if formed, will get an opportunity to probe the former Defence minister about the audio tape and the files which are now in his possession," he added.