Congress accuses PM, Sitharaman of ‘misleading’ Lok Sabha on Rafale deal

New Delhi : The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of misleading the Lok Sabha by not revealing the price of the Rafale fighter jets bought from France and indicated it could move a motion of breach of privilege against them.

“Deluding and misleading the people of India, the Prime Minister and Defence Minister sought to lie on the floor of Parliament. Neither the revelation of the commercial cost of Rafale aircraft will violate any secrecy agreement with the French government nor will it reveal any classified or protected information,” former Defence Minister A.K. Antony and senior leader Anand Sharma told a press conference.

Party sources said that consultations will be held with legal experts and the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, will decide on moving a privilege motion against Modi and Sitharaman in a day or two.

Antony and Sharma referred to the discussion during the no-confidence motion against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha on July 20 and said the Prime Minister sought to “hide behind a cloak of pseudo nationalism” in the Rafale deal and said the truth was that the Modi government was “guilty of compromising national interest and national security”.

The two leaders said that “shoddy cover-up, self defeating assertions and deliberate lies were being dished out to divert, dupe and deceive”.

“Grave apprehensions and claims of insurmountable loss being caused to public exchequer stand exposed as government refuses to state the truth,” they said.

Rejecting the government contention that the deal was covered by a secrecy clause under which the price cannot be revealed, Antony said the agreement between the governments of India and France in 2008 during the UPA government does not mention that commercial cost of procurement of defence deals cannot be revealed.

“The scope of the agreement only extends to tactical and technical details of weaponry relating to the capability of the platform in question and its performance and tactics in combat and does not include commercial details and costs. It is clear that the Prime Minister and Defence Minister misled the nation,” Antony said.

Claiming that the per aircraft price of Rafale as per international bid in 2012 during UPA government came to Rs 18,940 crore for 36 aircraft, the leaders said the Modi government purchased the same number of aircraft for Rs 60,145 crore and asked BJP to explain the extra amount of Rs 41,000 crore paid from public money. “This price is apparent from the ‘Annual Report, 2016’ of Dassault Aviation,” they said.

They contended that under the law, the government was bound to provide to full information to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and the Comptroller and Director General of India (CAG) and asked why the Modi government was not disclosing the commercial cost of the deal.

Antony and Sharma referred to two replies given by the Defence Ministry in 2016 and 2018 in Parliament revealing the price to be approximately Rs 670 crore per aircraft and asked why was the Defence Minister lying today.

They also quoted an interview given by French President Emmanuel Macron to a prominent news channel in India saying that if the Modi government wanted to disclose some of the details with the opposition, it can do so.

“Prime Minister Modi in Parliament took refuge in the statement released by the French government. Modi government must tell that the price of Rafale is not a secret, its specifications and weaponry are. The statement said the agreement ‘legally binds the two states to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipments of India and France’.”

The Congress asked where had the French government even said that the price of Rafale aircraft cannot be disclosed.

The two leaders also referred to answers given by the UPA government between 2010 and 2013 regarding the price of acquiring INS Vikramaditya, upgrade of Mirage aircraft, procurement of Sukhoi aircraft and development of Kaveri engine.

—IANS

Also read-

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related Stories

India creates two Israels annually, Common Civil Code needs to be implemented: BJP Minister...

1
The ongoing fast unto death at Ramlila Maidan in Lajpat Nagar concluded on its 22nd day, highlighting the 'need for a Population Control Act...

BJP expels leader Sandeep Dayma for derogatory remark on Gurudwaras and Mosques in Rajasthan

0
By Muslim Mirror Staff The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled Sandeep Dayma, the leader of its Rajasthan unit, for his controversial remarks regarding Gurudwaras,...

Cash-for-questions: Mahua Moitra walks out of Ethics panel meet

0
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who appeared before the Parliament’s Ethics Committee in connection with the alleged ‘cash-for-Parliament questions’ charge on Thursday, walked out...

People are voting for Modi, not BJP: Mani Shankar Aiyar

1
Stressing that the strategy of keeping their narrative “anti-Modi” is a well-thought-of move by the I.N.D.I.A alliance comprising 28 opposition parties, Congress member and...

Delhi Police gives NOC for holding ‘Muslim Mahapanchayat’ at Ramlila

New Delhi : The city police told the Delhi High Court on Friday they have granted permission to Mission Save Constitution, an organisation that...

Bihar teeming with illegal madrasas, mosques, says Union min, JDU hits back

Patna : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday claimed that Bihar was teeming with “illegal” madrasas and mosques which posed a grave threat to...

Kolkata cops summon 12 BJP MLAs over ‘disrespect’ to National Anthem

Kolkata : Kolkata Police on Friday issued summons to 12 BJP MLAs for questioning in connection with complaints filed against them for disrespecting the National...

No one can stop CAA implementation: Amit Shah at Kolkata rally

Kolkata : On Wednesday, Union home minister Amit Shah asserted the Central government will implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and no one can stop...

Umar Khalid’s UAPA bail plea: Case adjourned till Jan 10

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till January 10 the hearing on the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid...