Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of lying in Parliament that government orders worth Rs 1 lakh crore were provided to HAL, triggering a war of words with the minister.

Gandhi, whose party the Congress has been targeting the government alleging that it denied the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited an offset contract under the Rafale fighter jets deal with France, said on Saturday the minister should either place the documents in support of her statement in the House or resign.

Gandhi’s attack came after a media report claimed that “not a single rupee of the said Rs 1 lakh crore has come to HAL, since not a single order, as claimed, has been signed till now”.The central government has been denying the Congress’s charge of any wrongdoing in the Rafale deal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government has accused the Congress of not supporting HAL during its rule and asserted that the government is now strengthening the defence public sector undertaking.

Gandhi’s attack on Saturday had come over a media report which claimed that HAL, grappling with low finances, was forced to borrow Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries to its employees for the first time in years.

“The Lying Defence Minister’s Lies Get Exposed! Defence Minister claimed that procurement orders worth Rs 1 Lakh Crore provided to HAL! HAL says Not a SINGLE PAISA has come, as Not a SINGLE ORDER has been signed!” “For the first time, HAL forced to take a loan of ?1000 Cr to pay salaries!,” he added.