Rajnath should order raid on Parrikar’s bedroom, seize Rafale files: Goa Congress

Panaji, Jan 2 (IANS) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should order Central agencies to raid the private residence of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to search and seize files related to the Rafale deal in national interest, said Goa Congress spokesperson Siddhanath Buyao.

The spokesperson said Parrikar should be accorded security following the disclosure about Rafale, or, he would meet the fate of judge B.H. Loya and former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.

Buyao said officials and personal staff of the former Defence Minister should be quizzed while Parrikar, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and other Cabinet ministers, who were present at the Cabinet meeting where the former Defence Minister allegedly made reference to possessing files related to the fighter jet deal, should be put through a lie detector test.

"In national interest, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should order the agencies under his Ministry and other Central agencies to raid Parrikar's house and his bedroom to seize the files in his possession," Buyao told a press conference on Wednesday.

"He (CM) can meet the fate of judge Loya or Haren Pandya, because this statement was made by Parrikar according to Vishwajit Rane. Parrikar should be given security, now that Parrikar has said that (Rafale) files are with 'me'", Buyao said, adding that the individual speaking to Rane in the purported audio conversation should also be identified and provided security.

"This is a very serious matter. We have to get to the bottom of this. Rane and other ministers who were present at the Cabinet meeting, where Parrikar made those comments about the Rafale files, should be subjected to a lie detector test," he added.

Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, is currently recuperating at his private residence.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in Delhi, released the audio of a telephonic conversation purportedly between Rane and another person whose identity was kept anonymous, in which Rane is heard saying that Parrikar, during a recently held State Cabinet meeting, said that he has files related to the Rafale deal in the bedroom of his private residence where he is currently recuperating.

Surjewala asked Modi to come clean on the deal and make public the files which Parrikar "is using to threaten the Centre and the BJP".

Rane has, however, said the conversation is doctored and also asked BJP national president Amit Shah and Parrikar to probe the matter.