The CAG report on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, 13 February, on the last day of the ongoing Budget Session.
The report said that the Rafale deal signed by the Modi government was 2.86 percent cheaper than the one negotiated by the UPA government
Congress President Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday, 12 February, rejected the CAG report on Rafale and dubbed it as the "Chowkidar Auditor General" report.
"CAG report is a worthless report. I would term is as a 'Chowkidar Auditor General report'. It is Narendra Modi's report, written for the chowkidar, on behalf of the chowkidar, for the chowkidar, by the chowkidar," he said.
On Monday, 11 February, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had sent the new report on the controversial deal to the President and the Union Finance Ministry.
- Modi government tabled the CAG report on the Rafale deal in Parliament on Wednesday, 13 February
- The report said that the Rafale deal was 2.8 percent cheaper than the one negotiated by the UPA government
- The report, titled ‘Capital Acquisitions of Air Force’, contains details of acquisitions and deals, including Rafale as one of 12 chapters
- Congress has raised objections to CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, who had served as the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was signed, investigating his own role
Catch all the earlier updates on Rafale deal controversy here.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
‘Parts of Planes Falling Off’: VK Singh Raises Questions About HAL
Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh on Wednesday, 13 February, raised questions about the "capability” and “condition" of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
"Look at the condition of HAL. Our two pilots died. Sorry to say, but the programmes at HAL are running late by three-and-a-half years... parts of aircraft are falling off on the runway. Is this capability? On the other hand, we say that HAL is not getting the (Rafale) work," PTI quoted him as saying.
Read the full story here.
BJP Removed System of Middlemen in Defence Deals: P Muralidhar Rao
The CAG report showed that Congress President Rahul Gandhi was spreading misinformation on the Rafale deal with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha elections, BJP General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao claimed on Wednesday, 13 February.
"BJP has brought an end to the system of middlemen (in defence deals) that existed during Congress regime... Nothing that finds fault with the government has come either in the Supreme Court or through CAG," he said, as per PTI.
Rahul Gandhi Manufacturing Statistics on Rafale: Jaitley
Union Minister Arun Jaitley attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for "manufacturing statistics" into the 36 Rafale fighter jet deal with France's Dassault Aviation.
"The Congress President has manufactured a statistic, Rs 500 crore versus Rs 1,600 crore, a data which does not exist anywhere on any record," Jaitley told reporters.
"And on that manufactured data he (Rahul Gandhi) repeatedly lied before the country on various occasions. Ordinarily when the Supreme Court saw the pricing, examined the procedures and offset provisions and found no substance, the controversy should have come to an end," he said.
"Our NDA's deal is cheaper than the 2007 transaction. And keep in mind this is 2.86 per cent cheaper than that they have mentioned," he added.
Aircrafts Getting Delivered in India Later Than the Original Deal: Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi while addressing the media said that the Rafale aircrafts in India are getting delivered later than they were supposed to as per the original deal.
“Argument of Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister on why a new deal was required was - No.1- price and No. 2-Air Force needed planes quickly. The fact of the matter is, the new deal signed by Narendra Modi gets India the aircrafts later than the original deal,” he said.