By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The main opposition Congress on Tuesday directly attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government on the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal accusing it of “compromising national interest and security” in flagrant violation of the mandatory provisions of ‘Defence Procurement Procedure. It also alleged that the government is not ready to disclose the price of the Rafale aircraft in Parliament in order to hide blatant promotion of financial interests of ‘crony capitalist friends’ of the PM.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Congress communications in charge Randeep Surjewala, and party spokesperson Rajeev Gowda, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Modi government is indulging in an unforgivable game of compromising ‘national interests’ and ‘national security’.
A ‘huge scam’ is brewing in the procurement of fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force,” he alleged and added that the government is not ready to disclose the price of the Rafale aircraft in Parliament, which raises doubts on its intent.
Grave apprehensions and claims of insurmountable loss being caused to public exchequer are in public domain with the government refusing to state the truth, Azad said.
Putting the government on the mat, he pointed that complete non-transparency in disclosure of purchase price of aircrafts, flagrant violation of the mandatory provisions of ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ & prior clearance from ‘Cabinet Committee on Security’, sacrificing the National Interests on ‘Transfer of Technology’ and blatant promotion of financial interests of ‘crony capitalist friends’ by Prime Minister have marred the purchase of 36 ‘Rafale Fighter Aircrafts’ by Modi government from the ‘Dassault Aviation’ of France.
Congress leaders recalled the Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in a press conference in Raksha Bhawan on November 17, 2017, publicly directed the Defence Secretary to share the purchase price of 36 Rafale Aircrafts. Nothing happened thereafter. Tragically, Defence Minister has finally refused to disclose the purchase price in Parliament on 5th February 2018 that itself raises serious questions about the intent and motive of Modi Government.
They posed eight questions to the government to answer:
“Is it not true that on the date of announcement of the purchase of 36 Rafale Aircrafts by PM Modi on 10th April 2015; no procedure had been followed? Is it also not true that as per Defence Procurement Procedure, 2013; ‘Contract Negotiations Committee’ i.e. CNC and ‘Price Negotiations Committee’ i.e. PNC had to first make ‘price discovery’ followed by ‘inter-governmental agreement’, which would follow the announcement of purchase? Is it not true that on 10th April 2015; none of these had been followed?”
Azad said as per information per aircraft price during NDA comes to Rs 1,570.8 crore, against Rs 526.1 crore negotiated during the UPA.
He also said, “while the aircraft was sold for Rs 694.8 crore to Qatar by the same company, why was it sold for 100 percent more price to India”.
While in response to a question whether the Congress Party plans to bring a breach of privilege? Surjewala said the Party will take an appropriate decision on the point after consultation.
To another question on the time of delivery of L-1 aircrafts, he said it is in the public domain that L-1 was discovered in December 2012 and the then opposition BJP raised issues about the life-cycle cost of the aircraft.
“The matter was pending when the Government changed otherwise 126 aircrafts – 18 in flyaway condition, rest to be manufactured by (HAL) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. through Make-in-India in India would have happened but the truth also remains that Modi Ji concluded a new deal, then cancelled the old deal and no delivery of aircrafts have come and the price itself is a great Indian mystery that continues to remain unresolved,” he said.
When asked the deal was finalized during the UPA regime, Surjewala said Defence Minister needs to brush up her knowledge or read through her files once again.
He said if one examines all the objections of BJP and what did the BJP do – 2007 to 2012 – the entire hard work of Price Discovery of a fair transparent negotiation, they shelved, they one fine day took out something from their hat, went and bought from off-the-shelf 36 aircrafts.
All this is mired in serious issues of impropriety, serious non-transparency on part of Modi Government and serious issues about loss being caused to the public exchequer besides causing compromise of national interest and national security, he added.