Rafale deal: Congress launches nationwide campaign against Modi government

With former Union Minister P Chidambaram’s media briefing in Kolkata, Congress launched an all-out offensive against the Modi government over the Rafale deal.

Demanding investigation, Congress has reiterated that Modi government ignored defence procurement procedure and “bypassed” several committees to secure the deal in favour of a crony.

Congress will be holding as many as 100 press conferences across the country to expose the Modi government on Rafale deal.

Kickstarting Congress’ 360-degree campaign, Chidambaram addressed media in Kolkata and questioned the intention of the Modi government.

“The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was not taken in to the confidence…and why were the Contract Negotiation Committee and the Price Negotiation Committee kept in the dark about it?” said Chidambaram.

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said in Delhi, “Through Rafale deal, the BJP has done an encounter of transparency, Make in India and Defence Procurement schemes.”

“Modi government needs to tell the people of this country how they have done corruption worth ₹42,000 crore through this deal? How they took the contract from a government company and gave it to their friend?” questioned Shergill.

Senior Congress leader, Ajay Makan addressed media in Chandigarh and termed the Rafale deal as “scam-ridden deal.”

Showing a paper-plane made by Congress leader, Sunil Jakhar, Makan said in the conference that even paper-plane made by him is better than the Ambani.

It’s important to note here that despite having no experience in defence manufacturing, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Limited was given an off-set contract in Rafale deal.

In a report published on July 31, National Herlad had exposed how a 12-day old Reliance Defence Limited, which had a “debt of ₹ 35,000 crore” benefited to the tune of ₹45,000 crore by the Rafale deal.

Apart from senior leaders and formers ministers, Congress has fielded 50 leaders for the month-long campaign to take on the Modi government over Rafale deal. Congress has also directed state units to organise protests in all headquarters of the states. Protests will also be held at all district centres, as per the plan.

With the aim to make Rafale deal an electoral issue, Congress has time and again attacked BJP over the deal, citing irregularity and corruption.

During the No-Confidence Motion debate in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi had attacked Modi and blamed him for lying to the nation on the issue. Referring to his meeting with then French President, Francoi Holland during the latter’s trip to the India, Rahul recalled Holland telling him that there is no secrecy clause in the deal.

In 2008, Manmohan Singh’s UPA government signed a deal with France-based Dassault Aviation to purchase 126 Rafale jets.

As per the old agreement, India had to pay ₹570 crore per jet but in 2015, PM Modi scrapped the deal during his France visit without any consultation and announced the new deal wherein price for a single jet shot up to ₹1,670 crore. The new deal directly benefited to Reliance Defence Limited.