Opposition parties refute Dassault CEO's claims on Rafale

Hours after Dassault Aviation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eric Trappier on Tuesday said that he "did not lie" regarding the signing of Rafale fighter jets deal with the Indian government, the opposition parties launched a scathing attack on him, accusing him of earning "profit" for his company.

Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D Raja said that Trappier was a CEO of a company which "works for profit." "He is the CEO of Dassault Company, which works for profit. We need not go by what he claims. He thinks he is a great guy and only speaks the truth," Raja told ANI.

"We know how the corporate houses, whether they are Indian corporate houses or foreign corporate houses, work. Their motive is profit making. And for profit, they can go to any extent of lying to their own people and to the people of the country. So I don't go by what he claims," he added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha said that many things remain unanswered from Dassault's side. "I read that interview. The transcript of it. I believe that many things remain unanswered from the side of Dassault," he said.

"The fact is what are you going to speak about the internal communication when you speak about joint venture doesn't explain why only Anil Ambani? You must have known that he is completely in debt. So, there are many things which are unexplained," Jha said.

"Then he makes reference to that we did first business with India in 1953 with Jawaharlal Nehru. It is not about favouring any political party. It is about certain skeletons, which are regularly coming out of your cupboard and that remains unexplained. Finally, we are made to believe, this gentleman, the CEO of Dassault and we are made to disbelief the former French president. I don't know where we are heading for," added Jha.

Trappier in an exclusive interview to ANI rubbished allegations made by the Congress party president Rahul Gandhi that the former lied about the details of Dassault- Reliance Joint Venture (JV) for offset contracts in the Rafale jet deal.

"I don't lie. The truth I declared before and the statements I made are true. I don't have a reputation of lying. In my position as CEO, you don't lie," said Trappier when asked to respond to Rahul Gandhi's charge that Dassault was covering up for possible cronyism in awarding the offset deal to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group.

Rahul Gandhi, in a press conference on November 2, had alleged that Dassault invested Rs 284 crore in a loss-making company promoted by Anil Ambani, which was used to procure land in Nagpur. "It is clear the Dassault CEO is lying. If there an inquiry in this regard, Modi is not going to survive it. Guaranteed," added Gandhi.

Speaking to ANI at Dassault hangar housed in Istres-Le Tube Air base located north of the French city of Marseille, Dassault's CEO Eric Trappier said that they had prior experience dealing with the Congress party and the comments made by the Congress president made him sad.

"We have a long experience with the Congress party. Our first deal was with India in 1953 with Nehru and other Prime Ministers. We have been working with India. We are not working for any party. We are supplying strategic products like fighters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian government. That is what is most important," said Trappier.