Congress to hold press conferences across 100 Indian cities over Rafale deal

New Delhi, Aug 23: The Congress party will hold a press conferences the issue of Rafale on Saturday, August 25, said sources. The press conferences will be held across 100 cities of India in two-phases. Rahul Gandhi-led Congress has been attacking the NDA-led Centre over the Rafale deal.

The Congress alleges that the Rafale deal was signed at a much higher price than the one the previous UPA regime had negotiated to benefit "one businessman".

Earlier this week, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani wrote to Gandhi saying his party has been "misinformed, misdirected and misled" by "malicious vested interests and corporate rivals" on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Later, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Defence and Reliance Aerostructure has sent notices to Congress leaders asking them to behave responsibly while speaking on Rafale deal or face legal action.

The Congress party had again called the Rafale deal as a "monumental scam", saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scared of the expose. The Congress had also taken aim at the Prime Minister and his "crony friends", saying legal notices being sent to it and its leaders over the Rafale issue won't scare them.

The Congress had last week stated that it would launch a nationwide campaign on the Rafale issue and demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.

The Congress has alleged an Rs 41,205-crore loss in the Rafale deal inked by the Narendra Modi government. It says the NDA government is procuring 36 Rafale jets at a price of Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft compared to the Rs 526.10 crore per aircraft cost, agreed to by the then UPA government and France in December 2012.