’Why is the government silent on jet price?’

Congress chief says defence minister said there was a secret pact between India, France about the deal

'Why is the government silent on jet price?'

Youth Congress workers and supporters protest against the Rafale fighter jets deal, in Ahmedabad. Pic/AFP

Continuing his attack on the Rafale deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday questioned the government's silence on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets being bought from France.

"We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the defence minister about the price of the aircraft. The defence minister says she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. She told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price)," he told the media on the second day of his visit to his constituency.

He said he raked up the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him if there was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details. "Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such.

If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft, they can," the Congress chief said. "First, the question is why did the defence minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft as '526 crore versus '1,600 crore. Even other countries have bought Rafale aircraft but not for '1,600 crore," he said.

Get your facts right, Congress tells BJP
The Congress rebutted the BJP's allegations that Robert Vadra's company was keen on getting a share in the offset of the Rafale deal. Randeep Surjewala, the spokesperson of Congress, said, "We issued the tender in August 2007, invited international bids, and the bids were opened on December 12, 2012, and not in 2008. Correct your facts on this."

AAP leader sends legal notice to Sitharaman
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Tuesday said he had sent a legal notice to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal. In the notice, the AAP leader demanded that the deal be scrapped and Dassault Reliance Aerospace be barred from handling or manufacturing the fighter jets.

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