Rafale deal: Sitharaman refutes scandal allegations; says allegations are politically=motivated
Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today, addressing a press conference said that there was absolutely "no scandal" in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France and allegations of the wrongdoings relating to it were politically motivated. Sitharaman said, "false comparisons" were made between the price at which India was procuring the jets and the price being negotiated by some other countries.
No corruption allegations against any Defense Ministry official: Sitharaman
Sitharaman was addressing a press conference along with top officials of the Defense Ministry on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the NDA government. Sitharaman said that there have been no allegations of corruption against any officials of the Defense Ministry in the last four years. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.
Rafale deal signed in 2016 for around Rs. 58,000 crore
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.
Congress demanding deal invoice
The Congress had alleged that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government and accused the government of causing loss to the public exchequer. The Congress has been demanding cost details of equipment and weapons. The government, however, has been refusing to give an item-wise cost citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact.
How much was the deal under UPA rule?
The UPA government had negotiated a $10.2 billion deal for as many as 126 jets. However, the deal could not be finalized.
