Stung by a campaign launched against him by the Congress and some other opposition parties on alleged corruption in defence purchases, Defence Minister George Fernandes on Friday said he is in the process of moving court against the Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi.
Also see: Defence scam: The complete coverage
"I have the responsibility to see sedition is not allowed to go scotfree. Even there I will be fulfilling my duty," Fernandes told PTI.
He said he has consulted the attorney general and the solicitor general.
Asked whether he would file a suit as a private citizen or as minister of defence, he said: "This has to be decided."
Maintaining that the caskets purchased by his ministry to carry bodies of slain soldiers were not 'coffins or kafans' as the leader of the opposition has been describing them, Fernandes said these were reusable caskets and had a life of anywhere between 30 to 40 years.
"This has repeatedly been put across. The lies still go on and I have no other option but going to the court of law," the minister said.
Fernandes said: "The whole world knows what the truth is. The defence minister was not involved in placing the order for the caskets with the US firm. Transaction did not need to come to me and it was cleared at the army and ministry levels."
Terming as 'colossal lies' that there had been a major financial outgo, he said the total money involved in buying the caskets was Rs 1.71 crore, out of which Rs 80 lakh had been recovered.
Fernandes said the opposition is carrying out a tirade that army at the higher levels has done the transaction, which could make the 'gullible' think that army officers have made money.
"Our jawans are not just brave, they are also very sensitive. The message being sent by the Congress leaders is that they (officers) have been drinking the blood of jawans and making money," he said.
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