BJP's Amit Malviya rakes up Bofors over SC Rafale verdict, takes on Rahul 'Rajiv' Gandhi

As the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the Modi government by dismissing the review petitions in the Rafale case against its December 14, 2018 judgment, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya criticised Rahul Gandhi and claimed that PM Modi is "incorruptible." In a tweet, BJP's Amit Malviya raking up the Bofors scandal in an attack to Rahul Gandhi and former PM Rajiv Gandhi stated that the legacy is 'exclusive to his family.' Moreover said that along with the country, even the Supreme Court has rejected Rahul Gandhi's "lies of Rafale"

"People of India rejected Rahul Gandhi's lies on Rafale at the hustings and now even the Supreme Court has dismissed review petitions in the matter. Rahul 'Rajiv' Gandhi learnt the hard way that Bofors legacy is exclusive to his family and PM Modi is incorruptible," [sic] Amit Malviya said. 

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The Bofors scam was connected to a $1.4-billion howitzer deal between the Indian government and Swedish Arms manufacturer Bofors in 1986. As per the case, the Swedish company allegedly paid off former PM Rajiv Gandhi on the deal to purchase Bofors guns. 

Rafale deal verdict

The top court rejected the plea that there was a need for registration of an FIR in connection with the Rafale deal. The five-judge bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S K Kaul, and K M Joseph pronounced the contentious judgment. Justice Kaul, pronouncing the judgment said that the Court found "no merit" in the review petition. The Supreme Court further said, "This Court did not think it appropriate to embark on the roving and fishing inquiry."

In May 2019, a three-judge bench had reserved verdict in the petition seeking review of the earlier December 14 judgment on the government-to-government deal to procure 36 Rafale aircraft. 

During the Rafale hearing, the Supreme Court had looked into three aspects of the deal - the decision-making process, the pricing and the choice of the Indian offset partner. It had found no occasion to doubt the decision-making process and said it didn't find anything wrong in the selection of Indian offset partner by manufacturer Dassault. On the third criterion, it had said it wasn't its job to go into the pricing aspects.

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