Amethi: Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, questioned the reason behind the government’s silence over the demand for disclosing the details of price of the fighter jets deal being purchased from France.
“We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister what is the price of the aircraft. Defence Minister says that she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. Defence Minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price),” he told reporters on the second day of the visit to his constituency.
He further said that he discussed the ongoing issue with visiting French President Emannuel Macron and asked him whether there was any kind of secrecy pact between the French and Indian governments with a clause of not disclosing the details.
“Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft they can,” the Congress chief said.
“First, the question is why did Defence Minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs. 526 crore versus Rs. 1600 crore. Even other countries have also bought the Rafale aircraft but not for Rs. 1600 crore,” he said.
He commented over the issue of selecting an unexperienced Indian private firm to deal with the French company Dassault Aviation, and said that the state-owned company HAL has been involved in the aircraft manufacturing for the past 70 years, while the private firm had not made any aircraft until now.
He said that the former French President was asked to comment on the issue of whether the French government chose the Indian private firm or was it Prime Minister Modi, who selected the Indian firm and asked the French government to accept it. He said these comments while referring to the deal signed between the two governments and at the time of this deal, Hollande was the French President.
“Hollande told them that, No. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the truth,” Mr Gandhi said.
The Congress Chief took a strong jibe at the Prime Minister and said that the PM claims to be chowkidar (watchman) of the country and not a prime minister of the country. But the ‘chowkidar’ has given away people’s money to the private firm, he said.
Mr. Gandhi also said that, when such questions were raised in the Lok Sabha, Modi did not answer them at all.
“This is truth and this continues and more will come out on Rafale,” Mr Gandhi said.
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