Hollande's Remarks Contradictory: FM

Truth can’t have two versions: Jaitley

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said former French President Francois Hollande had made contradictory statements on the Rafale deal and asserted that “truth cannot have two versions.”

In a Facebook post titled, ‘A Questionable Statement Which Circumstances And Facts Demolish,’ Mr. Jaitley said the former French President’s statement that the Government of India pushed for the Anil Ambani group “rhymed” with Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s “prediction.”

Mr. Hollande’s statement has triggered a political storm in India with Mr. Gandhi charging Prime Minister Narendra Modi with personally changing the deal to suit the Anil Ambaniled Reliance group.

Subsequent statement

“He [Mr. Hollande] has, in a subsequent statement, said he is ‘not aware’ if the government ever lobbied for Reliance Defence and that ‘the partners chose themselves.’ Truth cannot have two versions,” he said in his blog.