BJP, Congress trade barbs on Rafale deal, Vijay Mallya's escape from India

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman maintained the NDA government purchased the fighter jets 9 per cent cheaper than the UPA government

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on Tuesday continued to trade barbs on the Rafale fighter jet deal and the controversy around fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya’s escape from the country.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman maintained the Narendra Modi government purchased the fighter jets 9 per cent cheaper than the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Sitharaman also said public sector Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) was de-selected from the deal by the UPA government, and all the procedures were followed to approve the deal.

“The HAL and Dassault couldn’t agree on terms of production. So, HAL and Rafale couldn’t go together. Doesn’t that very clearly say who didn’t go together with HAL and under which government it happened?” Sitharaman asked.

The Congress party and others disputed the defence minister’s claim. The party said Sitharaman was being economical with the truth, as Dassault Aviation in its annual report stated that negotiations were on with HAL, and the Indian foreign secretary is also on record, 48 hours before the deal was announced on April 10, 2015, that HAL was part of the negotiations.

Earlier in the day, former defence minister and senior Congress leader A K Antony asked if the fighter aircraft purchased by the Modi government was cheaper, why didn’t the government buy more than 126 fighter jets? Antony demanded a joint parliamentary probe to bring out the truth of the deal. Sitharaman rejected the demand. Antony accused the government of being “guilty” of “gravely compromising” national security in the Rafale fighter jet deal and said Sitharaman was “suppressing facts”.

Antony said the then Congress-led UPA government had received objections and reservations in writing from several leaders, including a senior BJP MP, about the life cycle cost calculation and the Indian Air Force (IAF) insisting on finalising the deal. Antony said that before the UPA demitted office, the negotiations were almost over, and after the Modi government took over, the Prime Minister (PM) announced a unilateral purchase of 36 aircrafts on April 10, 2015. “When the IAF demanded 126 aircrafts, who authorised the PM to reduce the number to 36?” he asked.

To Sitharaman’s comment earlier that HAL didn’t have the experience to make Rafale jets, the Congress leader said HAL has manufactured 4,660 aircraft of 31 types, including the Sukhois and the MiG aircrafts.

In a statement, the Congress targeted the PM and Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley on the Mallya issue. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked why is it the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) shifted its stance on the change in the look out notice for Mallya. Surjewala asked why the officers responsible for altering the notice quiet on the issue. It demanded a probe into the roles of the Prime Minister’s Office, FM, and finance ministry officials, three CBI officers and consortium of banks, particularly the State Bank of India.

Sitharaman asked why the Congress-led UPA government had continued to ask banks to give loans to Mallya. She said the government was not considering any proposal to downsize the Indian Army, but a government-appointed committee had recommended steps to make the Army a lean and powerful machine and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has been holding deliberations with his top commanders on it.

The CBI said on Tuesday the first look out circular against Mallya for his detention at airport was not sustainable in law and needed correction as there was no warrant against him at that time.