Modi guilty of corruption in Rafale: Congress

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of enriching Dassault Aviation at the cost of Indian exchequer by waiving bank guarantee in the Rafale deal, the Congress on Wednesday said he should be investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC.

Citing documents of the Indian Negotiating Team (INT), Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also claimed that the deal to buy 36 Rafale jets, including its price, was finalised by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

He also said that the price of the jets announced by Modi in April 2015 was far more than the UPA negotiated deal and accused the Prime Minister of lying about the pricing to Parliament.

"The corruption and maleficence in Rafale deal is out in open. Modi misused his office to give benefit to Dassault Aviation and consequently cause loss to public exchequer.

"According to the INT, the price of the 36 jets under the new deal is Rs 63,450 crore and not Rs 59,175 crore as has been claimed by various BJP ministers and the government. Moreover, considering the fact that the jets will be delivered in 10 years and taking into account an inflation rate of 1.22 per cent, the price of the jets will go beyond to Rs 67,500 crore," Surjewala told the media here.

Surjewala said Modi waived the bank guarantee to allow the Rafale maker Dassault to gain at the cost of the Indian exchequer and said a case of corruption was made against the Prime Minister.

"This is a case of Sec 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act. It is time to investigate PM Modi and everyone involved in Rafale scam through this FIR. It is time for Modi to prove that he is not guilty and should immediately submit himself to an investigation," said Surjewala.

Citing the INT, the Congress also claimed that the deal was finalised by Doval without any authority to do so.

"The decision and the price to buy 36 aircraft was done by Ajit Doval on January 12-13, 2016. Doval was neither authorised by the Cabinet Committee on Security nor was he a part of INT. Incidentally, the contract was signed on January 13, 2016.

"When this was disclosed, Modi forced the Defence Secretary to say that PMO had not interfered in the final negotiations. Para 11 of INT report clarifies that final negotiations weren't done by them and was done by Ajit Doval," said Surjewala.

--IANS

and/mr