Dainik Nation News Portal
The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of “compromising” national security and causing a loss of over Rs. 12,000 crore to the taxpayer with its deal to buy 36 French Rafale fighter jets.
Quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, makers of the fighter aircraft, the party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs. 351 crore higher than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion Euros in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion Euros in 2015.
This amounted to Rs. 1,670.70 crore per aircraft for India and Rs. 1,319.80 crore to Egypt and Qatar. There was a difference of Rs. 351 crore for each aircraft, the party claimed.
“The Modi government’s ‘diversionary tactics’ on Rafale deal has left more questions than answers,” they said in a statement.
Accusing the prime minister of compromising on national security and interests, Azad asked why were only 36 fighter jets purchased instead of 126 jets for which international bids were called for.
“Is this not compromising with national security? Why are prime minister and defence minister hiding the purchase price (of the jets)? Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12.12.2012 (during the UPA-Congress government) was Rs. 526.1 crore as against the Modi government’s per aircraft purchase price of Rs. 1,670.70 crore?” he asked.
