Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "gravely compromising national security and defence preparedness" by reducing to 36 the number of Rafale fighter jets purchased from France.

"In 2000, the Indian Air Force (IAF) told the then NDA government that they require at least 126 fighter aircraft. With threats looming on both eastern and western borders, modern air power is very crucial. "In the present context, the threat perception has increased substantially and the IAF needs more than 126 fighters at the earliest. However, instead of catering to the need, the Modi government seriously jeopardised national security and air combat preparedness by unilaterally ordering only 36 Rafale jets," the former Defence Minister told the media here.