Pappu, 'arrest' PM Modi if you have proof: Netaji's grand newphew to Rahul on Rafale row

Sep 23 (AZINS) Chandra Kumar Bose, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal Vice President and grand nephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Sunday dared Congress President Rahul Gandhi to 'arrest' Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Rafale fighter-jet allegations.

Both the Congress and BJP have locked horns over the ongoing Rafale fighter jet row, leveling accusation against each other after former French president Francois Hollande's reported remarks contradicting the Indian government's stand.

"I challenge @RahulGandhi to arrest Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji if he has conclusive proof against him on #RafaleDeal ! If not prepare to go to jail yourself. @narendramodi @AmitShah @IndianNationalC @BJP4India," Bose said in a tweet.

Stating that if people have a peasized brain its their problem -obviously @RahulGandhi can't arrest @narendramodi, Bose added, "What I meant if #Pappu has all the evidence-he can submit the same to the police/courts for suitable action. What's wrong with people please use your brain even if its pea sized!."

Netaji's nephew also said that it is really sad to see the intellectual and political bankruptcy among politicians. "They should be focused&involved in the welfare&development of the nation-instead they are wasting their time &energy trying to establish who's the thief? Pathetic!."

Bose joined BJP in 2016, the presence of party president Amit Shah.

On Friday, former French president Francois Hollande was quoted by a French publication as saying that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice.

The French government, however, said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale fighter jet deal.

While Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "corrupt", the ruling party alleged that pressure for 'extraneous considerations' during the UPA rule did not allow the contract to be finalised.

It is very important for the Prime Minister of India now to either accept Mr Hollande's statement and say 'Yes, it is the truth -- Mr Narendra Modi gave the Rafale contract in Rs 30,000 crore to Mr Anil Ambani', or 'Mr Hollande is not telling the truth and here is the truth'," Gandhi said at a press conference.

Coming out in Modi's defence, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned Gandhi's remarks as "shameful and irresponsible" and said no president of any party in independent India has ever used such language against a prime minister.

The opposition parties have also alleged that the Reliance Defence was formed just 12 days before the announcement of the Rafale deal by the prime minister on 10 April 2015. The Reliance group has rejected the charges.