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LIVE! Congress to meet CAG today over Rafale row

08:34  Trump defends SC nominee, says no need for FBI probe:  

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and said that there is no need for the Federal Bureua of Investigation to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against him.

Kavanaugh’s nomination plunged into chaos after Christine Blasey Ford told ‘The Washington Post’ that she was subjected to a sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee in high school in the early 1980s.

The Supreme Court nominee has rejected as “completely false” the sexual assault allegation, saying he was ready to testify before a Senate committee to “defend my integrity”.

Trump, during a joint media appearance with the visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters: “I don’t think the FBI really should be involved, because they don’t want to be involved. If they wanted to be I would certainly do that, but as you know they say this is not really their thing. But I think politically speaking, the senators will do a very good job. They really will”.

Responding to questions, Trump said he is looking to get the nomination of Kavanaugh done as quickly as possible.

“He is a truly outstanding person. He’s got an unblemished record. This is a terrible thing that took place, and it’s frankly a terrible thing that this information wasn’t given to us a long time ago, months ago, when they got it.

“They could’ve done that, instead of waiting until everything was finished, and then all of a sudden spring it. But that’s what the Democrats do. It’s obstruction. It’s resist. It’s whatever you have to do,” Trump alleged.

Kavanaugh, 53, has denied the allegation. The White House has said that it stands by Kavanaugh. — PTI

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08:28  Congress to meet CAG today over Rafale row:  

Seeking to step up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, the Congress will raise the issue with the Comptroller and Auditor General today and demand a thorough probe into the matter, party sources said.

   

They said top Congress leaders will meet the Comptroller and Auditor General Wednesday morning on the issue. 

 

The Congress has alleged corruption in the deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation.

 

It has alleged that the Modi government has caused a loss of over Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer by paying a higher price for the aircraft than what was negotiated by the UPA.

 

Earlier in the day, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the CAG and CVC are bounden by their constitutional duty to look at the entire deal and all its papers – whether or not somebody moves them.

 

“The Congress Party at an appropriate time also intends to move an appropriate petition before CVC and CAG to expeditiously and quickly adhere to their constitutional duties,” he said.

 

The Congress has asked why the government was not setting up a joint parliamentary committee to probe the fighter jet deal.

 

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, rejected the demand saying all the details on it have already been placed before Parliament. — PTI  

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00:05  Advani likely to contest Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar:  

Senior BJP leader LK Advani will contest from the Gandhinagar seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, claimed former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela post his meeting with the BJP leader. 

“Yes, I met Advaniji. He told me he is going to contest the 2019 general election from the Gandhinagar seat. I have no qualms in meeting Rahul Gandhi or Sharad Pawar or anyone for that matter, said Vaghela. 

However, on his part, Vaghela said he is yet to decide if he will contest the elections in 2019. He quit the Congress in July 2017. 

Vaghela, who is also a former Union minister, said he will spend the next few months attempting to unite all anti-Bharatiya Janata Party forces before the general elections next year. 

Source: Rediff