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<ul><li>India’s Attorney General, K K Venugopal, called the use of leaked documents by Indian media houses as “stolen”. </li><li>The editors guild has raised concerns on the comments and called the move towards curbing press freedom further. </li><li>The comments were made before the Indian Supreme Court. </li></ul>The Editors Guild of India has strongly objected to the Indian government’s attempt to term the use of leaked official documents on the Rafale deal by certain Indian media houses including the Hindu as “stolen” under the country’s <keyword id="167751" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Official-Secrets-Act">Official Secrets Act</keyword>. On Thursday, India’s Attorney General, K K Venugopal, sought to dismiss a petition in India’s Supreme Court that challenged an earlier verdict by the court on the Rafale deal, on the grounds the documents were a violation of India’s Official Secrets Act and fell in the purview of national security. In a statement, the guild said although the AG later clarified it wouldn’t pursue action against the journalists who used the documents, it “unequivocally” condemned the AG’s comments before the Supreme Court, adding they amounted to “intimidate the media in general” and curb press freedom. In December, the Indian Supreme Court dismissed <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-hit-back-when-first-report-came-out-not-once-did-it-say-papers-stolen-5614612/">pleas</a> seeking a judicial probe into the <keyword id="7400599" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="governments-purchase-of-36-Rafale-jet-fighters">government's purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters</keyword> from French aircraft maker Dassault. The most recent petition has alleged the government hid crucial facts regarding the deal. In February, The Hindu published a report citing a “defence ministry note” from 2015 that has raised “objections” on alleged “parallel negotiations” by the Indian government with the French aircraft maker. See more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/rafale-deal-indias-supreme-court-dismisses-pleas-seeking-a-judicial-probe-into-the-governments-aircraft-purchase/articleshow/67089887.cms">Rafale Deal: India's Supreme Court dismisses pleas seeking a judicial probe into the government's aircraft purchase</a>

The Indian press condemns the government's move to intimidate the media with Official Secrets Act

<ul><li>India's Supreme Court will consider fresh evidence to be produced by petitioners in the <keyword id="921384" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafale-deal">Rafale deal</keyword>.</li><li>Judges turn down the incumbent government's appeal against the sourcing of the evidence.</li><li>The Government had contended that the new evidence may not be admissible because they were 'privileged' documents. </li></ul>A nearly 40-year old verdict from the Supreme Court of US, in the Pentagon papers leak that unraveled America's involvement in the Vietnam war, has become the basis of the latest court verdict in an alleged corruption case against the Indian government. The country's most recent scandal involving the Narendra Modi's agreement to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault has seen a fresh twist. The country's top court will consider fresh evidence brought in by the petitioners against the government. The government's appeal that the documents to be presented were 'privileged', <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rafale-documents-not-stolen-petitioners-used-photocopies-attorney-general/articleshow/68322747.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">deemed secret by the government</a>, and, therefore, inadmissible as evidence, has been unanimously turned down by the bench of judges, including the Chief Justice of India. A Indian daily alleged, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rafale-modi-govt-gave-unprecedented-waivers-in-offset-agreements/article26775545.ece" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">citing classified documents</a>, that the Modi administration gave unprecedented waivers to the French company escalating the cost to the exchequer. The series of reports were taken up by the petitioners in the case for seeking a review of the earlier judgement that did not find any reason to doubt the government's decision. The Modi government's Attorney General, KK Venugopal, contended that the sourcing of these documents by the newspaper, The Hindu, was a breach of the <keyword id="167751" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Official-Secrets-Act">Official Secrets Act</keyword>. However, that has now been turned down by the Indian Supreme Court. However, the petitioners cited the US Supreme Court verdict on the Pentagon papers leak to say that once documents are published, the government can no longer claim privilege. In 1971, the New York Times had published <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/us/pentagon-papers-post.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">leaked papers from the Pentagon</a>, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, that uncovered America's secret involvement in the Vietnam war. Following the leaks, the then US government had tried to book the whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg for conspiracy, espionage, and theft of government property and endangering national security. The charges against Ellsberg were later dropped. The Rafale deal In April 2015, the Indian government announced that it will buy 36 Rafale fighter jets off-the-shelf, scaling back from an earlier agreement, struck by the previous government, to buy a total of 126 jets, of which 18 would be off-the-shelf. Rivals have accused the Modi government of reworking the deal at higher cost to the taxpayer, of about ₹58,000 crore, and adding clauses that would benefit a friendly industrialist, Anil Ambani, whose company Reliance Defence had been picked as Dassault's Indian partner. To be clear, while questions have been raised against the Rafale deal, so far nothing has been proven beyond doubt. Even the federal auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, had given the government a clean chit. The latest Supreme Court order to consider the fresh evidence has come a day before polling begins in the 2019 general elections where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term. His rivals are likely to turn up the heat on the ruling coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the eve of the polling to tilt the scales in their favour. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cag-report-on-rafale-deal-tabled-in-parliament-says-jets-cheaper-under-modi-government-than-upa/articleshow/67970948.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">CAG report on Rafale deal is a blessing for Modi government</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Seven-shocking-details-about-how-India-buys-arms/Chinook-Heavy-Lift/slideshow/67982017.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Seven shocking truths about how India buys arms</a>

The US verdict on Pentagon papers leak has put India's Narendra Modi government in a spot

Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with UPA chairperson <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> and India’s former Prime Minister <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="manmohan-singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword> held the protest against the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cag-report-on-rafale-deal-tabled-in-parliament-says-jets-cheaper-under-modi-government-than-upa/articleshow/67970948.cms">Rafale deal </a>on Wednesday morning outside Parliament. The party lawmakers were seen leading the protest with paper jets and posters, alleging corruption in the Rafale deal. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 <div type="Slideshow" msid="67975212" hostid="261" title="Paper planes to protest the Rafale deal — India's politicians are getting wackier" firstImageMsid="67975214" slideCount="6"></div>

Paper planes to protest the Rafale deal — India's politicians are getting wackier

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The Indian press condemns the government's move to intimidate the media with Official Secrets Act

BI India Bureau

The US verdict on Pentagon papers leak has put India's Narendra Modi government in a spot

Sriram Iyer

Paper planes to protest the Rafale deal — India's politicians are getting wackier

BI India Bureau

Paper planes to protest the Rafale deal — India's politicians are getting wackier

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