New Delhi: Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday (January 22) said that he was "happy" to note that the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met at the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi's residence today, had demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the alleged link between the Balakot airstrikes and the 2019 General Election.
"Happy to note that the CWC has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee Probe into the alleged Balakot - General Election 2019 Linkage. I had raised the demand earlier this weak asking for the same," Tewari tweeted from his official handle on the microblogging website.
He also attached a Congress statement in relation to the aforementioned context, titled "JPC Investigation into Shocking Revelations Endangering National Security and other Facets".
'Disturbing reports on how national security has been so thoroughly compromised': Sonia Gandhi
Notably, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday raised the issue of the alleged chat leak of Arnab Goswami over the Balakot airstrike in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed.
During a crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, she questioned the government's silence on the issue.
"Very recently there have been very disturbing reports on how national security has been so thoroughly compromised," Sonia Gandhi said, while discussing the alleged chat leak of Goswami with BARC former CEO Partho Dasgupta.
She mentioned how just a few days back, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony had said that leaking of official secrets of military operations was "treason".
Questioning the government's silence on the issue, she said, "Yet the silence from the government's side on what has been revealed has been deafening. Those who give certificates of patriotism and nationalism to others now stand totally exposed."
The purported chats widely reported in media mentioned that Goswami was privy to information about the Balakot airstrike.
Congress' demand
In relation to this, the Congress has demanded a JPC investigation. The statement reads:
"The CWC expresses its grave concern at recent revelations exposing the sordid conversations that have undoubtedly compromised national security. It is clear that among those involved are persons in the highest echelons of government and there has been a breach of secrecy concerning vital and sensitive military operations. The revelations also point to an inexcusable and deliberate subversion of Government structures, scandalous and extraneous influence over Government policies, and a vicious attack on the independence of the judiciary. The shameful compromise of the Modi Government with non-government players has been exposed.
It is shocking that days after the revelations, the Prime Minister and the Central government remain silent on the issue as though the storm will pass. Their silence underlines their collusion, complicity and guilt. The storm will not pass and we will hold the Central government accountable for compromising national security and aiding India's adversaries.
The CWC demands a time-bound investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into the breach of national security, violations of the Official Secrets Act and the role of the persons involved. Ultimately, those who are guilty of treasonous behaviour must be brought before the law and punished."
(With inputs from agencies)
