Shameful Your Boss is Silencing You on Rafale: Rahul to Sitharaman

The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 18 November, hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was “shameful” that her boss was “silencing” her.

He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted:

Dear RM, what’s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us :
1. Final price of each Rafale jet?
2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris?
3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 18, 2017

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‘Cong Didn’t Take Decision For 10 Years’

Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier in the day slammed the previous UPA government for not taking a decision on the Rafale fighter jet deal for about 10 years and said she could not spell out in detail what happened due to the delay as it involved the nation's security.

She said no decision was taken in the matter between 2004 and 2013, during the UPA dispensation after several rounds of discussion.

After being in power for 10 years... you (Congress party-led UPA) went without taking a decision.

Nirmala Sitharaman

She said that after the NDA assumed power in 2014, the inter-governmental route was opted for expeditious procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition with France after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussions with the Air Force.

Stating that the UPA government could not complete the procurement, she said the BJP-led dispensation did it, “considering our necessity and in view of urgency.” The procurement order was placed “properly” and “by not slipping away” from any procedures. The Cabinet Committee on Security nod was obtained and all formalities were complied with, she said.

(With inputs from PTI.)

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