Supreme Court ruling on Rafale deal enhanced Modi government's "image" globally

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Friday said the Supreme Court ruling on Rafale deal has enhanced Modi government's "clean image" globally. Rupani also accused the Congress of running a misinformation campaign against the Centre on the fighter jet deal. "The clean image of the Narendra Modi government has got a boost following the Supreme Court order on the Rafale fighter jet deal," Rupani told reporters here.

"Congress party president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of that party ran a misinformation campaign and created a bubble that the BJP has indulged in corruption in the deal, but that bubble has burst," Rupani said. "All the past defence deals by the Congress involved middlemen, but this was a government-to-government deal...it is the Modi government that removed middlemen from defence deals," he claimed.

He also accused the UPA government of ignoring the requirement of the defence forces by not finalising the Rafale deal from 2007 to 2014. In a major relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court Friday said it was "satisfied" with the decision-making process in concluding the Rafale fighter jet deal and rejected demands for a probe, sparking bitter exchanges between the BJP and the Congress.

(With inputs from agencies.)