BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has hinted at internal sabotage aimed at hurting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal.

Swamy tweeted: “Who provoked the former French President who signed Rafael deal to blurt out about Anil Ambani? The politician who planted in (a newspaper’s name) the story about film-making by a French cine-star. This was to hurt Namo (Narendra Modi). Who is the planter? Who else?”

“Planting” is newsroom jargon for the unethical practice of sowing seeds of information in a handpicked journalist or among multiple journalists. The information need not be incorrect but the motive behind the disclosure is usually to project someone in a favourable light or to disparage a rival.

Several politicians and public relations executives are known to “plant” information with such motives and journalists are expected to guard against such tactics.

No one has challenged the authenticity of the report Swamy is referring to. Nor has anyone questioned the motive and credibility of the newspaper that published the report.

On Saturday, when a tweeter asked “who sir?”, Swamy replied: “At an appropriate after I get time from my present schedule, I will decode for you.”

Swamy tweeted soon after: “My sources in US say that the same Ambani was proposed by the planter for F16s (fighter jets). But US said no, nothing doing.”

A high-profile minister in the Modi government is known for what is often referred to as “media management skills”.

But Swamy, who picks on targets within and without the government, had not revealed the identity of the “planter” till late Saturday night.