When Rahul Was Young, Was He Playing in the Lap of 'Q'? Jaitley Returns Rafale Fire With Bofors Bomb

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday rebutted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s Rafale charges on the floor of the House with the Bofors jibe, saying some people “only understand the language of money”.

Saying Gandhi had “disappointed India”, Jaitley said, “Some people have a natural aversion to the truth. How can Rahul challenge the Supreme Court's verdict?"

The minister also called the alleged Parrikar ‘tape’ fabricated, saying the Goa chief minister had already quashed all allegations. "Yet Rahul continues to peddle utterly false claims," he claimed.

The Congress has demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Parrikar's purported claim that he had files on Rafale "lying in his bedroom" and asked if this was the reason why a joint parliamentary committee probe was not being ordered.

“When Rahul was young, was he playing in the lap of 'Q'? It’s a name that has featured frequently in corrupt deals. Why were letters dated from 2008 referring to Mrs Gandhi, ‘R’ and Italian lady written? This is because the only language they understand is money. What is the National Herald case? It’s a case where members of Gandhi family are out on bail,” Jaitley said while referring to Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi’s alleged involvement in Bofors.

"Every word he said flies in the face of judgment of the Supreme Court, every word spoken on this subject in the last six months is false, including in the House. The Congress today is headed by a gentleman who does not have basic understanding of what a combat aircraft is," Jaitley said. He then countered the Rafale criticism with the Bofors jibe, saying: "Some people only understand the mathematics of money.”

He also cited the National Herald case and said the Congress only “understands 'paisa' and not national security”. “Rafale is a neccesity since Kargil. In BBC series Yes Minister, it is said the most incapable ruler is the one who never takes a decision. That is how the previous government was. More than that, the UPA played with the security of the country," Jaitley said. "Rafale would have been helpful in the Kargil war. There are two types of defence agreements; either through tenders or through inter-governmental agreements. There were six bidders and ultimately Rafale was shortlisted. It was the UPA that postponed Rafale acquisition," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Sushmita Deb was seen hurling paper airplanes at Jaitley during his speech.