“Deliberately spreading lies”; reactions to Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments on Rafale, fuel price, JNU

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, September 18 claimed to journalists at an interactive session at Indian Women’s Press Corps in New Delhi that state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was dropped from the Rafale deal by the UPA government itself as HAL and Dassault Aviation, the French firm that produces Rafale, could not concur on the production terms.

However, Congress leader and former Defence minister AK Antony had lambasted Nirmala Sitharaman for ‘trying to tarnish the image of HAL’, and alleged that HAL was overlooked to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft in favour of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence to meet the ‘offset’ obligation because of his proximity to the Prime Minister. “The Prime Minister went to Paris and announced the purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts under the Inter-Governmental Agreement on April 10, 2015. PM Modi made this announcement while negotiations with HAL were in the final stages,” Antony emphasised.

Analyst Ravi Nair also pointed out on Twitter that just a day before PM Modi’s visit to France, then foreign secretary S Jaishankar had said, “In terms of Rafale, my understanding is that there are discussions underway between the French company, our Ministry of Defence, the HAL which is involved in this. These are ongoing discussions.”. This shows that until April 8, 2015, HAL was officially still a part of the deal.

Nair has asked, “Just answer, what changed in the 15 days from March 25, 2015 to April 10, 2015? French media widely quoted Eric Trappier saying “contract for 126 Rafale with India 95% completed”. What changed it to zero?”

Kerala FM slams Sitharaman on fuel price hike statements

During the conference, Sitharaman made a strong case for reduction in state taxes to reduce the fuel prices. “If there is an impression it’s the Central government that is imposing excessive excise duty, which is leading to an increase in fuel prices, I would like to say that the Centre only charges half of what the states impose. What the Centre collects is fixed. Even a part of what Centre collects as tax on fuel also goes to the states,” said Sitharaman.

However, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac countered Sitharaman. “Nirmala Sitharaman is misinformed and she is deliberately spreading lies. Since the BJP has come to power, they have increased the excise duty nine times. There has been a rise of 120% in the excise duty on petrol and more than 300% increase in diesel excise duty,” pointed out Issac.

Issac asserted that this was the largest ever increase of any taxes in independent India. “That is why the prices of fuel in India have been increasing. When the global prices fell, India increased the excise duty and now when the global crude oil prices have increased, they have simply passed it on to the consumer,” said Issac.

“None of the states have increased the VAT; if only, the states have decreased it. The Central government has increased the excise duty by adding it as additional excise duty and special excise duty, both of which are not shared with the states. Now, the states are saying, reduce this tax, we don’t want a share,” explained Issac.

Sitharaman’s statements leave JNUSU “deeply dismayed”

Sitharaman, who is an alumni of Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that there were forces within campus “waging a war against India”, and they were “also seen with elected representatives of the institution’s students’ union”.

“I feel sad at what is happening in the institution. It is not encouraging at all. t is very different to have a party, whose ideology I may not agree (with), but the way in which they are probably led by forces which are anti-India—when I say anti-India, definitely it is a stated position they are waging a war against India in their pamphlets and their brochures. That makes me feel uneasy,” said Sitharaman.

The recently concluded JNUSU elections were marred by ABVP members beating up members of the Left Union panel, which has won all the four posts. The JNUSU, in a statement, said it was “deeply dismayed” by Sitharaman’s statements. “As a former student of this university and as a senior minister, such statements calling JNUSU members anti-India and ‘waging a war against India’ are utterly baseless and condemnable,” it said.

It is not just JNUSU which was dismayed by her comments. Sitharaman’s contemporary and close friend during her days in JNU, NR Mohanty, is outraged. Mohanty, who was the JNUSU president in 1982, said his party, Students for Democratic Socialism, had allied with her Free Thinkers, and it was this alliance that made him the president.

“I would like to ask her, why is it that your government which started the ‘anti-India’ campaign against student leaders including former JNUSU president Kanhaiya, has not been able to prove any of the charges legally. Even a charge sheet could not be framed as there is no material to file a charge sheet. You can’t brand anyone anti-India. The Constitution allows us to show our allegiance to things of our choice. Sedition applies only if comments have been used to incite violence directly or indirectly. This is why all the sedition charges against Kanhaiya fell through. Now, because of your allegations, he has become an international celebrity,” pointed out Mohanty, who is now director of media institute JIMMC in Noida.

Mohanty said that such charges only create icons, youth or otherwise. “Now, they have gone and arrested those five human rights activists. They have become household names. Thankfully, the judiciary exists. If there was no judiciary, her party, BJP, would have ravaged the country,” said Mohanty.

“She was one of the brightest students in the economic departments and a feisty speaker always. Unfortunately, she is now making illiterate statements like those made by Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Jayant Sinha. I am prepared to debate this on a national platform,” quipped Mohanty.