Oram, Rahul engage in verbal exchange during panel meet

New Delhi: The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on Thursday witnessed verbal exchanges between chairman Jual Oram and Congress member Rahul Gandhi after the latter sought answers on various aspects of the budgetary allocation from defence officials. To a question from Gandhi, the officials told the committee that the ‘first phase’ of disengagement of the Indian and Chinese Army was progressing smoothly and would be completed in a day or two, it is learnt.

The CDS, the Director General of Military Operation, the defence secretary and other officials attended the meeting which discussed the budgetary allocation on defence. To a question from Gandhi on why the Rafale fighter jet was directly purchased by changing the original clause for technology transfer, the defence brass said it helped the IAF acquire the latest model of technology which will enable indigenous production in the near future.

The Oram-Gandhi exchange followed officials’ presentation before the meeting on the budgetary allocation, leading to a stormy adjournment for a tea-beak. Gandhi is learnt to have engaged officials with many questions, including specific queries on how much India spent/invested on personnel, equipment and gears compared to China and some other countries.

Sources said as officials responded, Gandhi asked more questions, seeking specific answers on various aspects of defence spending. Oram then expressed his displeasure by saying it was not proper for one member to continuously engage officials with so many questions. Gandhi is learnt to have responded that he was only exercising his right as a committee member.

Sources said Gandhi also complained that the last time too Oram had interrupted him — an apparent reference to a mid-December meeting when he walked out after the Chair objected to the Congress MP asking questions to the Army brass on the border row when the subject of discussion was uniforms. While some opposition members urged Oram to allow Gandhi to ask the questions, sources said at some point, Oram is learnt to have made some remarks on Gandhi asking too many questions after absenting himself from several meetings. He then adjourned the meeting for tea-break.