Indian Air Force’s Deputy Chief Air Marshall Raghunath Nambiar on Thursday refuted allegations of irregularities in the Rafale jet deal, PTI reported. Speaking on the sidelines of an international seminar in New Delhi, Nambiar said the allegations do not match the facts.
India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in 2016 to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. The opposition Congress has been accusing the Narendra Modi government of getting an overpriced deal. It has also alleged that the government helped a defence firm owned by Anil Ambani with no experience in the sector to land a mega contract under the deal.
The government has refused to reveal the per-plane price that it has negotiated in the deal, citing a secrecy agreement with France. On August 29, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley played down Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of irregularities in the deal and asked the party to show evidence.
Nambiar said the price finally agreed on was “substantially lower” than what was discussed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2008. “I think they [those who are making the allegations] are misinformed and probably not aware of the facts that are known to us in the Indian Air Force,” Nambiar said. “As we are the ones who were very much part of the negotiations with the French government. And we have the facts with us.”
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition next week seeking a stay on the Rafale deal.
Vice Chief Air Marshall SB Deo, meanwhile, has said the Indian Air Force is waiting to fly the “very capable” Rafale aircraft as it will give the country “unprecedented” combat capabilities and an advantage over its regional foes. Deo, however, has refused to comment on the controversy over the deal.
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