The main opposition party Congress, has been attacking the BJP over the Rafale’s deal finalized by the Modi government recently. The party alleged that BJP had finalized the deal at much higher cost than earlier negotiated by the UPA government.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had raised a question that why the Prime Minister was not being questioned about the Rafale’s deal. In a press conference, Rahul had said that “I answer all your questions, whatever you ask me. Why don’t you question Prime Minister Modi on the Rafale deal, on Amit Shah’s son? Why don’t you question the Prime Minister, who changed the entire Rafale deal to help a businessman?”
The opposition accused the Modi government that by finalizing the deal at a much higher price and giving the manufacturing contract to the Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Limited in a joint venture with Dassault Aviation, BJP had compromised with the national interest and security to promote crony capitalism.
Ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress is using the rafale’s deal as a point against the BJP, while, BJP has denied the allegation made by the Congress saying that the blames put by the opposition are base and it is only to divert the attention from the Agusta Westland VVIP chopper scandal, as Congress fears that the party’s bigwigs may have to face questioning regarding the scandal.
Responding to the allegations, the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley pulled down on the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. He said that “unlike during Congress regimes when middlemen ruled the roost, there was no Quattrocchi in the contract for the fighter jet.”
While Congress is attacking BJP over the rafale’s deal, the later is taking a dig at the opposition party over the Bofors scam. In wake of the allegation made on the Gandhi family to be involved in the Bofors scam, Jaitley mentioned Ottavio Quattrocchi, the Italian businessman, who is believed to be involved in the scam.
The Finance Minister in his statement to the press in Ahmedabad said that “It (Rafale deal) was a government-to-government transaction, between two governments. It wasn’t like what used to happen during Congress governments when middlemen used to be there in every transaction. There wasn’t any Quattrocchi in this transaction.”
Supporting the decision taken by the Modi government, Jaitley said that the Rafale’s deal was made to boost the combat ability of the Indian Air Force. Taking a jibe at the Congress for raising the issues after almost two-and a half years, Jaitley alleged that the party was raising the issue now, in wake of the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections.
“I wonder why the Congress leader is raising this issue now, as the transaction was done almost two-and-a-half years back. The very fact that it is being raised after two-and-a-half years indicates it is a motivated campaign linked to the election,” Jaitley said.
Counter-attacking the remarks made by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, that the deal was done only to favor a single businessman, the Finance Minister said that Rahul cannot understand the issues and the deal as he has no experience.
Further defending the Modi government, he said that it was not the government’s decision, but it was up to the company to decide its partner, with whom it wants to deal with. “Since it was a government-to-government transaction, the procedure was different. Another procedure is of tendering. He (Rahul Gandhi) is not having any experience of running a government. And, it is up to the company (Rafale) to choose its partner (in India). The government of India does not decide that” Jaitley said.
Earlier, when Rahul Gandhi had raised the question over the changes in the Rafale’s deal, he said that he pulled down on Modi on three points. He underlined three major points regarding the deal:
- First, is there a difference in the cost of planes in the first and the second contracts (signed with the French firm) and did India pay more or less money as per the second contract?”
- Second, has the industrialist (whose company has formed a joint venture with the French firm), who was given the contract, ever manufactured planes?”
- And lastly, did you follow the due government procedure? Why was the (then) defense minister seen catching fish in Goa? And, was an approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security taken (for the mega-deal)?”
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had also taken a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that his relationship with US President Donald Trump had failed.
Narendrabhai, बात नहीं बनी. Terror mastermind is free. President Trump just delinked Pak military funding from LeT. Hugplomacy fail. More hugs urgently needed.https://t.co/U8Bg2vlZqw
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 25, 2017
Taking a dig at this remark of Rahul Gandhi, the BJP counter attacked alleging that the opposition should stand with the nation and on the side of the terrorist. BJP Spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted that the old habits of the Congress Vice President has not changed and that the party should stand in support of the nation.
Rahul baba, आदतें नहीं बदली हैं
For once,stand with the country & not with Terrorists as is your habit. You are a known sympathiser of LeT. WikiLeaks & Ishtar Jahan case cover-up exposed your links. BTW, have you congratulated your "Hafeez Saheb's" on his release yet? @officeofrg https://t.co/ynOianLLYa— జీవీఎల్ నరసింహరావు (మోడీ గారి కుటుంబం) (@GVLNRAO) November 25, 2017
He commented that the “Congress ka haath, Aatankivadiyon keSaathh(Congress stands with the terrorists)” would be a more appropriate slogan for the Grand Old Party. Defending the BJP government he further added that “While Manmohan Singh’s government treated Pakistan as a victim state and let it off lightly, Narendra Modi has succeeded in isolating and cornering Pakistan as ‘terroristan’ not just in the region but globally and in all international fora like the United Nations, G20 summit, BRICS, ASEAN, etc.”
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, regarding the comments made by Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress leader should refrain from making such immature comments. He is a big leader and such immature behavior and use of such immature words do not suit him,” Jaitley said.