From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Nov 13: Stepping up the heat and pressure on the Bitcoin scam as well as the multi-crore Rafale deal, AICC spokespersons Randeep Singh Surjewala and Dr Gaurav Vallabh have launched a frontal attack on the Narendra Modi as well as Basavaraj Bommai governments alleging ‘Operation Cover-up’ to bury the corruption scandals.

In a joint press release, two national AICC spokespersons have claimed that the Modi government’s operation cover-up to ‘’bury the melting pot of corruption, kickbacks and collusion’’ in the Rafale fighter jet deal is once again exposed.

Randeep Singh Surjewala (left) and Dr Gaurav Vallabh

They have also alleged Operation Cover-up to bury the Bitcoin scam and charged that ‘’concealment, deception, intrigue and whitewash’’ were part of the scandal that raises serious questions on the corridors of power in Karnataka. ``The silence of Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the entire issue is even more shocking despite the fact that the Chief Minister met both the leaders on November 11, 2021.’’

“The BJP Govt sacrificed national security, jeopardized the interests of the Indian Air Force and caused loss worth thousands of crores to our exchequer. Each revelation in the murky Rafale affair during the last 5 years, every single allegation and each piece of the puzzle leads right up to the highest echelons of power in the Modi Government,’’ they alleged.

The latest revelations in ‘Operation Cover-up’ reveal the dubious nexus between Modi Government and CBI-ED to bury the Rafale Corruption.

Two Former Union Ministers of BJP and a senior Lawyer submitted a complaint to Director, CBI citing massive corruption in the Rafale Deal on October 3, 2018 and on October 11, 2018 the Government of Mauritius through its Attorney General had supplied the documents to the CBI regarding alleged payment of commission connected to the Rafale deal.

But on October 23, 2018, a Modi-led Committee removed CBI Director Alok Verma in a midnight coup, raided the CBI headquarters through Delhi Police and appointed its protégé M Nageshwar Rao as the CBI Chief, they said and contended that it was ``part of a concerted conspiracy to bury the Rafale Ghost through the CBI.’’

The Congress leaders asked: Why has the Modi Government and the CBI not acted upon the evidence of commission and corruption for last 36 months? Why has it been buried? Why did Modi Government remove the CBI Chief in a midnight coup?

They charged that the "Rafale scam is not a so called Rs 60 or Rs 80 crore commissions payment. It is the biggest Defence scam and only an independent investigation will reveal the scam. The Congress-UPA Govt had negotiated purchase one Rafale fighter aircraft including Transfer of Technology for Rs 526.10 crore after an international tender. Modi Government bought the same Rafale fighter aircraft (off the shelf, without any tender) for Rs 1670 crore without Transfer of Technology to India. The difference in cost of 36 jets is approximately Rs 41,205 crore.’’

“Will the Modi Government answer why are we paying Rs 41,205 crore extra for the same 36 aircrafts without Transfer of Technology to India? Who made money and how much bribes were paid? How could PM unilaterally buy 36 aircrafts ‘off the shelf’ when there was a live international tender of 126 aircrafts,’’ they asked.

The Congress leaders further said the French News portal/agency – Mediapart.fr in its fresh set of stunning revelations have exposed how middleman Sushen Gupta got hold of confidential documents belonging to the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) in 2015 from India’s Ministry of Defence detailing the stance of the Indian negotiators, during the final lap of negotiation and in particular how they calculated the price of the aircraft. This gave clear advantage to Dassault Aviation (Rafale)

Isn’t it correct that Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered the “Secret Defence Ministry Documents” from the middlemen in the raid dated 26-03-2019 including

a) ‘Benchmark Price Document’ dated 10-08-2015
b) ‘Record of Discussions’ by the INT of Defence Ministry
c) ‘Excel Sheet of calculations made by Defence Ministry, GOI; and
d) Eurofighter’s counter offer of 20% discount to GOI
e) A note dated 24th june 2014, sent to Dassault by Sushen Gupta, offering a meeting with,’ The Political High Command.’

Did such a meeting take place with the “high command” in Modi Govt?

This is nothing short of endangering National Security, sedition and a gross violation of Official’s Secrets Act.

Why didn’t the ED pursue these evidences further to investigate the scam? Why did Modi Govt then not take action against Dassault, the political executive or the Defence Ministry officers who leaked the documents? Which ‘Chowkidar’ sold India’s National secrets?

Modi abrogated the ‘Anti-Corruption clauses’ of “No bribery, No Gift, No Influence, No Commission, No Middlemen” which is the mandatory policy in Defence contracts as per the ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’.

Isn’t it correct that the ‘Anti-Corruption clauses’ were part of the tender issued by the UPA for purchase of 126 Fighter aircrafts, the Congress leaders asked.

Were the ‘Anti-Corruption clauses’ deleted to escape responsibility from bribery and commission to be paid in the Rafale deal? Why was the deletion of ‘Anti-Corruption clauses’ approved by Prime Minister and Modi Govt in September 2016, despite the Defence Ministry’s insistence upon including it in the Inter-governmental Agreement in July 2015? Is the reason that CBI-ED refused to probe the corruption in Rafale deal since 11th October 2018 till date?

4 questions on Rafale deal to PM Modi:

1. Why did he reduce the number of Rafale aircrafts unilaterally and without consulting the Indian Air Force, from 126 to 36?
2. Why did he deny Transfer of Technology to India and manufacture of Rafale by HAL?
3. Why did he abrogate the Anti-Corruption clauses which are a pre requisite for any tender according to Defence Procurement Procedure and was part of the tender issued by the UPA?
4. Why did he protect Sushen Gupta by not ordering investigation into his role in the Rafale scam?

On the Bitcoins scam, the two AICC leaders have raised 6 questions:

1. Who are the actors in the “Bitcoin Coverup Scam”?

2. Were the stolen bitcoins transferred from the wallet of alleged hacker Sri Krishna? How many bitcoins and of what value? How does the Bengaluru police then suggest (in its third Panchnama dated 22nd January 2021) that the 31 & 186 Bitcoins allegedly transferred to police wallet were lost or were found to be fake transactions?

3. Whether the “Whale Alerts” reflecting the transfer of the 14,682 stolen Bitfinex bitcoins valued at Rs. 5,240 crore on the two dates- 1st December 2020 & 14th April, 2021, when Krishna was in custody- has any correlation? Whether it was investigated if some of the transferred Bitcoins were from Sri Krishna’s wallet?

4. What is the role and responsibility of the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai (who was the Home Minister in charge at the relevant time) and others in the State Government?

5. Why was Interpol not informed despite such gigantic offences with clear international ramifications? Why did the BJP Government wait for over five months up till 24th April 2021 to write to Interpol and that also after the release of Sri Krishna on 17th April, 2021?

6. Why were NIA/SFIO/ED not informed by the Karnataka BJP Government?