The Congress party will now to take its fight with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). A party delegation will meet the CAG on Wednesday with a request to “expedite its constitutional obligation of examining the deal.”
The Congress party will now to take its fight with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). A party delegation will meet the CAG on Wednesday with a request to “expedite its constitutional obligation of examining the deal.”
However, there was no word on whether party presisent Rahul Gandhi will lead the delegation.
The Congress will also seek time from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), to probe the deal.
Earlier on Tuesday, accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “suppressing facts” on the Rafale deal, the Congress asked the Modi government to publish “the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aicraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 aicraft deal including the price of each aircraft.”
Addressing a press conference in the party headquarters, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony asked why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the deal and alleged that the Rafale deal of "gravely compromised national security.”
Mr Antony said that Ms Sitharaman’s charge that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the "final nail in the coffin” of UPA’s Rafale deal was false.
“Contract Negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry but it felt that the ‘Life Cycle Cost Concept’ is a new concept and they cannot support it. Then the Congress-UPA Government also received objections and reservations in written from various leaders including a senior BJP MP about the ‘Life Cycle Cost calculation,’said Mr Antony in his defence.
“The Indian Air Force (IAF) was insisting to finalize the deal and then I directed thatthe negotiations be continued, but take it to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) only after disputes are settled,” he added.
The former Defence Minister also accused Ms Sitharaman of tarnishing the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) nationally and internationally by stating that it didn’t have the requisite infrastructure to make the 108 Rafale fighter jets under UPA’s transfer of technology clause.
If the Rafale fighter jets purchased by NDA were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA then why did the Modi government not buy 126 aircraft, asked Mr Antony. “The Congress party demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deals, including per aircraft price of the same to clear the doubts of the people of India, let the Nation decide who is correct,”he said
"There is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open," he added.
Accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “suppressing facts” on the Rafale deal, the Congress on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to publish “the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aircraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 aircraft deal, including the price of each aircraft.”
Addressing a press conference in the party headquarters, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony, asked why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the deal and alleged that the Rafale deal “gravely compromised national security.”
To approach CVC
The Congress also claimed that it would approach the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to “expedite their constitutional obligation of examining the deal despite the BJP government trying to create hurdles.”
Mr. Antony refuted Ms. Sitharaman’s charge that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the “final nail in the coffin” of UPA’s Rafale deal.
“Contract Negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry, it was felt that the ‘Life Cycle Cost Concept’ is a new concept and they cannot support it. Then the Congress-UPA government also received objections and reservations in written from various leaders including a senior BJP MP about the ‘Life Cycle Cost calculation,” Mr. Antony said.
“The Indian Air Force (IAF) was insisting to finalize the deal and then I directed that the negotiations be continued, but take it to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) only after disputes are settled,” he added.
HAL tarnished
The former Defence Minister also accused Ms. Sitharaman of tarnishing the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) nationally and internationally by stating that it didn’t have the requisite infrastructure to make the 108 Rafale fighter jets under UPA’s transfer of technology clause.
“If the Rafale fighter jets purchased by the NDA were cheaper than those negotiated by the UPA, why did the Modi government not buy 126 aircraft,” asked Mr Antony.
“The Congress party demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deals, including per aircraft price of the same to clear the doubts of the people of India. Let the Nation decide who is correct,” he said
“There is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet; let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open,” he added.
However, there was no word on whether party presisent Rahul Gandhi will lead the delegation.
The Congress will also seek time from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), to probe the deal.
Earlier on Tuesday, accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “suppressing facts” on the Rafale deal, the Congress asked the Modi government to publish “the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aicraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 aicraft deal including the price of each aircraft.”
Addressing a press conference in the party headquarters, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony asked why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the deal and alleged that the Rafale deal of "gravely compromised national security.”
Mr Antony said that Ms Sitharaman’s charge that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the "final nail in the coffin” of UPA’s Rafale deal was false.
“Contract Negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry but it felt that the ‘Life Cycle Cost Concept’ is a new concept and they cannot support it. Then the Congress-UPA Government also received objections and reservations in written from various leaders including a senior BJP MP about the ‘Life Cycle Cost calculation,’said Mr Antony in his defence.
“The Indian Air Force (IAF) was insisting to finalize the deal and then I directed thatthe negotiations be continued, but take it to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) only after disputes are settled,” he added.
The former Defence Minister also accused Ms Sitharaman of tarnishing the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) nationally and internationally by stating that it didn’t have the requisite infrastructure to make the 108 Rafale fighter jets under UPA’s transfer of technology clause.
If the Rafale fighter jets purchased by NDA were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA then why did the Modi government not buy 126 aircraft, asked Mr Antony. “The Congress party demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deals, including per aircraft price of the same to clear the doubts of the people of India, let the Nation decide who is correct,”he said
"There is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open," he added.
Accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “suppressing facts” on the Rafale deal, the Congress on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to publish “the price of the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aircraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 aircraft deal, including the price of each aircraft.”
Addressing a press conference in the party headquarters, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony, asked why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the deal and alleged that the Rafale deal “gravely compromised national security.”
To approach CVC
The Congress also claimed that it would approach the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to “expedite their constitutional obligation of examining the deal despite the BJP government trying to create hurdles.”
Mr. Antony refuted Ms. Sitharaman’s charge that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the “final nail in the coffin” of UPA’s Rafale deal.
“Contract Negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry, it was felt that the ‘Life Cycle Cost Concept’ is a new concept and they cannot support it. Then the Congress-UPA government also received objections and reservations in written from various leaders including a senior BJP MP about the ‘Life Cycle Cost calculation,” Mr. Antony said.
“The Indian Air Force (IAF) was insisting to finalize the deal and then I directed that the negotiations be continued, but take it to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) only after disputes are settled,” he added.
HAL tarnished
The former Defence Minister also accused Ms. Sitharaman of tarnishing the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) nationally and internationally by stating that it didn’t have the requisite infrastructure to make the 108 Rafale fighter jets under UPA’s transfer of technology clause.
“If the Rafale fighter jets purchased by the NDA were cheaper than those negotiated by the UPA, why did the Modi government not buy 126 aircraft,” asked Mr Antony.
“The Congress party demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deals, including per aircraft price of the same to clear the doubts of the people of India. Let the Nation decide who is correct,” he said
“There is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet; let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open,” he added.