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Congress' allegations disservice to armed forces: Sitharaman on Rafale deal

  •   Fri, Nov 17 2017 07:32:56 PM

New Delhi, Nov 17 (Deccan Chronicle): A day after Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa said that the Rafale deal is not overpriced and denied allegations that the Narendra Modi government had negotiated an overpriced deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday gave another blow to the Congress calling the allegations levelled by the opposition party "shameful" and a "disservice" to the armed forces.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told reporters.

The defence minister also attacked the Congress by blaming it for sitting for 10 years on plans to buy the fighter jets that the Indian Air Force needed.

She said the decision to strengthen the Air Force was taken by the Vajpayee government back in 2000 but the Congress-led coalition, the UPA, which came to power in 2004, could not seal the deal over the next decade.

"When we came back in power in 2014, the situation was grim... We had to move forward fast," she said, stressing that "not a single procedure was violated in procuring the jets".

Prime Minister Modi spoke to the French government during his April 2015 visit. The final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September 2016 after five rounds of lengthy discussions between India and France, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security, the defence minister said.

The Congress had alleged the government caused "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money by signing the deal worth Rs 58,000 crores and claimed that the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence Limited that demanded the Congress had been unfairly picked to be the French firm's Indian partner.

The Opposition also alleged that the cost of each aircraft is three times more than what the previous UPA had negotiated with France in 2012.
  

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Comment on this article

  • SMR, karkala

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    Sitharaman proved “Populist Nationalism is the first step towards crony capitalism.”
    What India’s famous Rafale purchase and other business deals that raise some serious questions;
    1. What is the personal interest of our PM in Rafale and other defence deals?
    2. Did the original Rafale negotiation under UPA regime actually collapse or was it a smoke screen to bring Adani group and Anil Ambani in to combat aircraft manufacturing?
    3. Is it wrong to think just one deal has been broken into different pieces to cater to the business interests of Mr. Modi’s billionaire cronies?
    4. Did the PM himself take the call on defence deals? If not who are the people behind this?
    5. Did a certain section of the Indian media play conduit in pushing a fake narrative against the UPA deal on Rafale?
    One with zero experience, Anil Ambani entered into a joint venture with Dassault Aviation to start a airframe and engine parts manufacturing facility in India. Dassault was under the offset rule obligations to invest 50% of the total revenue in India itself and out of the total offset amount of Rs 30,000 crore, Rs 21,000 crore went to Anil Ambani’s Reliance. This came as nothing less than a windfall gain for the junior Ambani, whose business had run into serious financial crisis by then. This joint venture was formed on the 10th day after India formally signed the purchase contract!
    These three deals show us clearly why our current ruling political dispensation is taking so much interest in defence deals. All the companies who are going to make or service these aircrafts are owned by our PM’s close friends. By doing all these, was our government merely facilitating business opportunities for Indian companies in India or is there anything beyond that? How come these foreign companies formed JVs with Indian companies who have no experience or technological capabilities in aircraft manufacturing or defence production?
    Did India’s ‘nationalist’ government compromise national interest?
    JaiHind

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dev, Mangalore

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    The minister should rephrase her defense as any scam involving govt. in defense is disservice to Armed Forces & corruption by pocketing the Tax Payers Money.
    Why then BJP continuously accused UPA in Augusta of any other alleged scams without waiting them to be proven in a court?
    We know her tongue lashes more without facts or figures than with them.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    Every new government alleges the earlier governmet for scams but they too do the same thing which will be known when the change in the government

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ozy, Surathkal

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    With both hands joining and greeting Chinese soldiers at border is more insult to our Armed Forces.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kevin, Mangalore

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    BJP hides behind patriotism when it is asked to disclose details about the Rafale deal. Samuel Johnson, a keen observer of human nature, said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • mahesh, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    If anyone should be angry it should be Cairo. Egypt picked up 24 Rafales for $5.9 billion and Qatar spent $7.2 billion for 24 units, thereby indicating that India paid less ($8.7 billion) for its 36 aircraft. The agreement covers weapon systems for the aircraft, a comprehensive supply of spare parts and maintenance for five years.
    One cannot overlook the cost factor of the Meteor air-to-air missiles (150-kilometre range), Scalp air-to-ground cruise missiles (300-kilometre) and top of the range avionics, including the Israeli built heads-up helmet mounted display systems. Named Targo 2, the system allows pilots to plan, rehearse, fly and debrief using their personal helmets, providing them with increased situational awareness, safety levels and operational abilities.
    France also intends to give back 30 percent of this cost in offset programmes, although some reports give that figure as 50 percent of the total value. That makes it a steal.

    DisAgree [13] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mangalurian, Mangaluru

    Sat, Nov 18 2017

    Indian politics and elections work almost entirely on allegations.

    For example, BJP had made allegations against Congress/UPA prior to the elctions in 2014.

    But how many of these allegations have turned out to be true? How many Congress politicians have been jailed since 2014 by the Narendra government?

    As for Cairo getting angry: with the Egyptian economy being what it is, the cash almost certainly did/will not come from Egypt itself. I could have written more on the subject, but, like Mr Gandhi, I will not be able to provide the hard evidence.

    Mr Gandhi's allegations may not be entirely incorrect.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • zuhair, Udupi/Muscat

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    So does that mean, BJP's allegations on 2G scam is a disservice to 2G subscribers...

    DisAgree [3] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • mahesh, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    That allegation was backed by proof which was accepted by the supreme court.The case is on.
    here rahul is only talking .

    DisAgree [18] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Zuhair, Udupi/Muscat

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Mr. Mahesh,

    This shoddy deal was exposed by an online news website called Janta ka Reporter, not by congress or Rahul... but most of the media houses have refrained from airing it bcoz of the involvement of top corporate houses like Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence, top politicians and bureaucrats etc who controls most of our media houses. The details of the expose is still available in their website but i know u wont look into it bcoz for u guys news is limited to what is forwarded in your whatsapp groups created in BJP's IT cell.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Why only Ambani's benefits ...

    DisAgree [3] Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse

  • mahesh, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Where is ambani benefiting.
    This is a govt to govt deal.

    DisAgree [19] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Swamy, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Fox is praising its own tail. BJP thinks that they can fool us by saying Modi got a good deal???. That means congress got bad deal on Bofors????. One thing is sure both got best deal for themselves.
    Desh Gaya Baad Mei.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [21] Reply Report Abuse

  • mahesh, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Without proof ,talking is useless

    DisAgree [16] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Swamy, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Yeah, all BJP talk is non sense only for media attention no proof, no case.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Kingdom of Bahrain

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    This was going to happen and will happen again and again until feku government is kicked out of power.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • anthony, Mangalore

    Fri, Nov 17 2017

    Wahta baout the disservice done to the Armed Forces especially the Army on the so called Bofors Scam. Initially they try to allege that AB in the diaries was Amitabh Bachaan or his brother Ajitabh Bhachan. Twenty or more years and the BJP could nor unravel the mystery of the pay off in the Bofors deal. The bofors deal pay off was just 60 crores and less than the 80 crores bonanza in Amit Shah's sons case . Suprisingly the CAG which came out with irregularities almost every day is totally silent these days.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse


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