New Delhi: Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Sunday accused the PM of covering up the "scam", saying "fear"was making him "corrupt" and "destroy" key institutions.

Gandhi also cited a media report which claimed the Modi government decided last month to nominate senior Supreme Court Judge A K Sikri to the vacant post of president/member in the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT).

On 8 January, Justice Sikri's vote proved decisive in the removal of CBI director Alok Verma over corruption charges.