Congress believes Rafale deal is the biggest scam

All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa today called Rafale deal the biggest scam in the country's defense sector post-independence.

Alleging that BJP is directly benefiting from the scam, Bajwa demanded cancellation of the deal.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should end their silence and come out with the facts," the former Punjab Congress chief told reporters here.

The cost per aircraft as per the international bid opened on December 12, 2012, was Rs 526.10 crore, said Bajwa, adding that eighteen aircraft were to come from France in 'fly away' condition and 108 aircraft were to be made in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with a transfer of technology. At this rate, 36 aircraft should cost Rs 18,940 crore.

On April 10, 2015, Modi announced an emergency "off-the-shelf" purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft in Paris, France for Euro 7.5 billion (Rs 1670.70 crore per aircraft).

"Will Modi explain why an extra amount of Rs 41,205 crore is being paid," Bajwa asked.

While reports of a "secrecy clause" have surfaced, Bajwa claimed there is no such non-disclosure of commercial purchase price clause in the agreement between India and France.

Further, Bajwa asked why the number of fighter aircraft to be purchased was reduced from 126 to 36.

"The 36 aircraft will reach India between 2019 and 2022. With looming threats from China and Pakistan, does it not compromise national security and defeat the purpose of emergency purchase?" he said.

He said no mandatory approval of the cabinet committee on security was taken before purchasing of the aircraft, besides the mandatory defense procurement procedure was also not followed.

"Why did the Modi government allow the offset contract to be given to a company that has zero experience in manufacturing fighter aircraft?" Bajwa questioned.

"Reliance Defence Limited was incorporated on March 28, 2015, just 12 days before the announcement of the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft. Reliance Defence got the contract even though it does not have the experience to make a needle," he said.

He alleged that the government had deliberately ignored the 20 percent price reduction offer made by Eurofighter Typhoon and refused fresh bidding for the lowest price.

In the original tender invited by the UPA-Congress, two fighter aircraft were found equal on all technical fronts - Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, said the Congress leader, adding that Eurofighter Typhoon wrote a letter on July 4, 2014, to the then defense minister, offering a 20 percent price reduction.

Bajwa said the Congress has started a campaign to inform the people about the scam.

He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi had already raised the issue in the Parliament and the Congress was demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the matter.

Asked whether the Congress is in favor of cancellation of the deal, Bajwa said the agreement has to be canceled as it is a matter of security.

In response to a poser on the Bofors guns scam, Bajwa said Congress formed a JPC to investigate the matter. "The Bofors guns showed their utility when it helped pound the enemy during Kargil war," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)