IYC stages protest on Rafale issue, seeks PM's resignation

Members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC)Saturday staged protest here against the Centre over the Rafale issue and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation.

The protesters were stopped mid-way by the police as they tried to march to the prime minister's residence.

Former French president Francois Hollande was quoted as saying by French media that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and "France did not have a choice".

Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after holding talks with then French president Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris.

The opposition party has been accusing the government of choosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to benefit the private firm, though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector.