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F 5 3 $ # ) ,$!- 14 25 456(57$ place of 126. “We are satisfied that there !! he Supreme Court on is no occasion to really doubt * - 9 "#: L TFriday provided a major the process, and even if minor M K relief to the Modi Government deviations have occurred, that $ by dismissing the demand for would not result in either set- +$> ,K a court-monitored CBI probe ting aside the contract or L M /?# into the Government-to- requiring a detailed scrutiny by L$ Government deal with France the court,” the Bench said. 456(57$ for the purchase of 36 Rafale It noted that process for /? fighter jets, saying there is no procurement of 36 Rafale jets $ : M * 9 % eliance Group Chairman occasion to “really doubt the was concluded on September %%!9 .@# RAnil Ambani on Friday decision-making process” war- 23, 2016 and no questions welcomed the SC order on the ranting setting aside of the were raised at that time and the Rafale deal, saying it established contract. petitions were later filed after the falsity of politically moti- A Bench headed by Chief reported statement of former vated allegations against him. Justice Ranjan Gogoi went into French President Francois “I welcome the judgment “three broad areas of concern” Hollande with regard to selec- summarily dismissing all PILs raised in the petitions — the tion of Indian offset partners. filed on the Rafale contracts, decision-making process, pric- The Bench said it was “cer- and conclusively establishing ing and the choice of Indian tainly not the job of this court the complete falsity of the wild, offset partners — and said to carry out a comparison of baseless and politically moti- there was no reason for inter- the pricing details in matters vated allegations levelled !"# $% vention by the apex court on like the present” and the mate- against Reliance Group and me the “sensitive issue” of purchase rial has to be kept in a confi- personally,” Ambani said. of 36 fighter jets. dential domain. Continued on Page 4 The apex court said the Continued on Page 4 Indian Air Force (IAF) needs advanced fighter jets as the country cannot afford to be “unprepared” or “under pre- pared” in a situation where adversaries have acquired fourth and fifth generation and promised that he and Pilot of the Rashtriya Lok Dal) in the fighter aircraft, “of which, we will give “good governance”. Assembly elections. Pilot said have none”. Rahul met Gehlot and Pilot the party’s manifesto will be “In view of our findings on thrice since Thursday. Hectic implemented immediately. all the three aspects, and hav- 456(57$ parleys were held between top However, the name of ing heard the matter in detail, party leaders, including Sonia Chhattisgarh CM has been we find no reason for any uoyed by the Supreme 456(57$ Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi kept under wraps. The official intervention by this court on BCourt verdict on the Rafale Kharge. Kharge, who was also Vadra too is understood to be announcement will be made on the sensitive issue of purchase fighter jet deal issue, the he Central Government present at the briefing, said the involved in the decision-mak- Saturday in Raipur. All the of 36 defence aircraft by the Government and the ruling Thas come under cloud for PAC has not received any such ing process. Senior party lead- four contenders — TS Singh Indian Government,” the BJP on Friday charged the allegedly misleading the report. 456(57$ ers Venugopal, Avinash Pande Deo, Bhupesh Baghel, Bench, also comprising Justices Congress with manufacturing Supreme Court by claiming “Where has that report and Jitendra Singh were present Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan SK Kaul and KM Joseph, said lies and compromising with that it had placed the gone? Is it with some other he Congress on Friday during the meeting on Friday. Das Mahant — were called to in its 29-page judgment. national security and said truth Comptroller and Auditor PAC that PM Modi has set up,” Tnamed Ashok Gehlot as “The united colours of Delhi. Attorney General KK always holds together while General (CAG) report on the Rahul asked in a dig at the Rajasthan Chief Minister and Rajasthan,” Rahul tweeted on They took turns to meet Venugopal welcomed the ver- “falsehood always fall apart.” Rafale jet deal before the Public Government. Both the Sachin Pilot as his deputy after Friday afternoon along with a Rahul during the day after the dict terming it as an “excellent” Making this assertion here, Accounts Committee (PAC) Government and Anil party president Rahul Gandhi photograph in which the three name of Rajasthan CM was and “very good” judgment, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley The BJP president said of Parliament. Ambani’s Reliance Group have successfully brokered a peace leaders were seen in a jovial finalised. Rahul authorised which in his opinion has given without directly naming Sonia there is no occasion to doubt Congress president Rahul rejected Rahul Gandhi’s alle- between the veteran leader mood. Gehlot and Pilot were AICC Central Observer for “clean chit” to the Government Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi said the decision-making process in Gandhi along with Yashwant gation of wrongdoings. and his younger colleague after welcomed with pomp and Chhattisgarh Mallikarjun by accepting all its arguments. falsehood was manufactured by the procurement of 36 Rafale Sinha, Arun Shourie and Rahul again accused the several rounds of discussion splendour at the Jaipur airport Kharge to announce in Raipur “I think a clean chit has “one family”, but they are not jets from France, and the court Prashant Bhusan, the three Modi Government of destroy- lasting more than two days. after the announcement. the CM candidate after the CLP been given to the Government above the apex court. has upheld that in its order on PIL petitioners in the Supreme ing “all institutions” and assert- They will take oath of Pilot, 41, exuded confi- meeting on Saturday. on Rafale deal,” he told Along with the Friday. It is not the job of the court against Rafale deal, on ed that corruption to the tune office of December 17. dence that Congress’ good elec- Gehlot will be the fourth reporters on the sidelines of a Government, the ruling BJP court to deal with the com- Friday pointed out that no of 30,000 crore has taken Congress observer to toral performance will contin- leader to become Chief function to give farewell to also accused the Congress of parative details of the pricing, such CAG report was ever place in the Rafale deal. Rajasthan KC Venugopal made ue, saying the party will get a Minister of Rajasthan for a Justice Madan B Lokur, who is making the Rafale deal look a he said. He also hit out at the placed in Parliament or before He reiterated the Congress’ the announcement and said big mandate in 2019 polls and third time. Mohan Lal set to retire on December 30. suspect by telling lies. BJP Congress president for taking the PAC. demand for a Joint details of the oath-taking cer- form a Government at the Sukhadia was the Chief The court said perception president Amit Shah said here a jibe at Prime Minister At a Press conference, Parliamentary Committee emony would be decided after Centre also. “Mera aur Ashok Minister of the State for four of individuals cannot be the at a separate Press conference Narendra Modi by saying the Rahul said the Supreme Court (JPC) probe into the fighter jet a meeting with Governor Gehlotji ka jaadu puri tarah times, while Hari Dev Joshi and basis of a “fishing and roving that the SC order was a slap on “chowkidar” is a thief. “All in its verdict cited a report by deal and claimed that if it was Kalyan Singh in Jaipur. chal gaya hai (Gehlot and I Bhairon Singh Shekhawat were enquiry” by the court in such Congress chief Rahul’s politics thieves had gathered to call the the CAG on the Rafale deal was conducted, names of Prime Addressing a Press confer- worked our magic in the three-time Chief Ministers of matters and it cannot “sit in of lies and asked him to apol- ‘chowkidar’ a thief, but the submitted to the PAC but Minister Narendra Modi and ence, Gehlot thanked Rahul State),” Pilot said. the State. Both Sukhadia and judgment” over the wisdom of ogise to the country and its sol- country never believed it,” Shah asserted that no such report businessman Anil Ambani will Gandhi for giving him the The Congress went from Joshi were Congress leaders Government’s decision to go in diers for putting national secu- told reporters. was given to the House panel come to the fore. opportunity to serve the peo- 21 seats against the BJP’s 163 in while Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for purchase of 36 aircraft in rity at risk. Continued on Page 4 headed by Congress’ leader in Continued on Page 4 ple of the State for a third time 2013 to get 99 seats (plus one was from the BJP. !! "# $ 456(57$ %&7!4(8 Minister for Information and Bengaluru: At least 11 people, Communications Gokul including a girl and a woman, oted English writer Amitav he Nepal Government has Prasad Baskota said. died while 75 others took ill on NGhosh has been honoured Tbanned the use of Indian “The Government has Friday after consuming with this year’s Jnanpith Award, currency notes of 2,000, 500 decided not to use, carry and “prasad” at a temple at Sulavadi a literary award given to an and 200 denominations, a keep the Indian bills of 200, 500 village in Chamarajnagar dis- author for “outstanding con- move that could affect Indian and 2000 denominations.