Congress peddling untruth on Rafale, seriously compromising national security: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today accused Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of "peddling untruth" and carrying out a "false campaign" on the Rafale deal as he sought to counter the opposition's charge of it being the "biggest scam" in the defense sector.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today accused Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of "peddling untruth" and carrying out a "false campaign" on the Rafale deal as he sought to counter the opposition's charge of it being the "biggest scam" in the defense sector.

Replying to Congress's posers with his own set of 15 questions for Gandhi, Jaitley said the deal NDA government had entered into with France on April 10, 2015, for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets was on better terms than the one agreed to in 2007 under the UPA regime.

French manufacturer Dassault had offered to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft in 2007.

Jaitley sought to bring out the Bofors ghost as well asking Congress if delays in decision making during its regime were based on collateral considerations like the ones witnessed in the purchase of Bofors guns.

Refusing to disclose details of the deal such as the price of the aircraft, due to constraints placed by "secrecy clause" in the contract, he said Congress's allegations that NDA government agreed to pay a higher price and is favoring a private industrialist are "complete falsehood."

In a Facebook post, he then went on to pose 15 questions that included one about the decision-making paralysis under the UPA regime that led to delay of over one decade in ordering the aircraft, which compromised national security.

"Can Rahul Gandhi and the Congress deny that the Indian government has no contact whatsoever with any private industry in relation with the Rafale aircraft supplies? In fact, 36 of the Rafale aircraft with their Indian adaptations are going to be sent to India and there is no manufacturing of these aircraft in India," he said.

Congress has repeatedly alleged a "scam" in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets claiming the cost per aircraft in 2012 was agreed at Rs 526.10 crore while the one signed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi costs Euro 7.5 billion (Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft).

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa had on Sunday called the deal as the "biggest scam in country's defense sector post-independence."

Stating that the Rafale controversy was based on "complete falsehood", Jaitley said it was expected from national political parties and their responsible leaders to keep themselves informed of the basic facts before they enter a public discourse on defense transactions.

"I am asking these questions as his misadventure is impairing national interest and I hope Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party would respond immediately," he wrote. "Congress party's false campaign launched on Rafale aircraft deal based on peddled untruth has been casting a cloud on the Inter-Governmental agreement & seriously compromising national security," he said.

Jaitley said Congress and Gandhi were guilty on three counts - delaying the deal by over a decade compromising national security, speaking of falsehood on pricing and procedure, and further delaying the defense procurement by raising these issues.

"Needless to say that I am constrained by the secrecy clause which exists in the contract and whatever I ask or respond to would be constrained by that limitation," he said.

The finance minister said Gandhi had in Jaipur used two figures – Rs 520 crore and Rs 540 crore as the cost of each fighter jet under the UPA deal.

"Rahul Gandhi quoted a price of Rs 700 crore per aircraft in Delhi and Karnataka in April and May this year. In Parliament, he reduced it to Rs 520 crore per aircraft, in Raipur he increased it to Rs 540 crore," he said.

"In Hyderabad, he invented a new price of Rs 526 crore. Truth has only one version, falsehood has many. Are these allegations being made without any familiarity with the facts of the Rafale purchase?" he asked.

The minister said in-principle approval for procurement of 126 replacement aircraft was recorded by the Defence Minister way back on June 1, 2001.

The UPA government issued a request for proposal on August 28, 2007, and found two vendors -- Dassault Aviation and EADS -- to be compliant to the requirements.

"It took the UPA five more years to commence the negotiations and in January 2012 the Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) determined Dassault Aviation be L1 (lowest bidder)," he said adding the UPA on June 27, 2012 decided to re-examine the deal, which effectively meant that the entire 11-year exercise was abandoned and the process was to be undertaken afresh.

"India's squadron strength was depleting because of age. This slow and casual approach of the UPA Government seriously compromised national security requirements," he said.

Posing 15 questions, he said if there are no replies or diversions, he would be constrained to come out with "further specific facts which establish truth as a victim of Gandhi and his party merely peddling his falsehoods."

Jaitley asked if Gandhi was aware that there was a price escalation clause in the bid received during UPA regime and if the Congress was aware that basic aircraft price is 9 percent cheaper under the NDA than it was under the UPA.

Other questions pertained to Gandhi's knowledge of defense procurement procedure and on offset policy that allows a supplier to select any number of Indian partners.

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