A day after the Centre submitted a document in the Supreme Court detailing the decision-making process that was followed to purchase 36 Rafale jets, the French aviation manufacturer also rubbished allegations made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Dassault Aviation chief executive officer Eric Trappier hit out at Gandhi for calling him a 'liar'. He also spoke about the controversial decision to make Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence an offset partner. Trappier also spoke about the Congress's claim that the Modi government was overpaying for the Rafale jets. "I don't lie. The truth I declared before and the statements I made are true. I don't have a reputation of lying. In my position as CEO, you don't lie," said Trappier.
Gandhi, in a press conference on November 2, had alleged that Dassault invested Rs 284 crore in a loss-making company promoted by Anil Ambani which was used to procure land in Nagpur. "It is clear the Dassault CEO is lying. If an inquiry starts on this, Modi is not going to survive it. Guaranteed," Gandhi had said.
The Congress described Trappier's interview to ANI as "dictated" and "manufactured lies". In his back-to-back rallies in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana, Gandhi lambasted the Modi-government over alleged kickbacks in the Rafale deal. The controversial Rafale deal has been at the centre of the anti-BJP campaign.
Speaking to ANI in the Dassault hangar at Marseille in France, Trappier said that the comments made by the Congress president made him sad. "Our first deal was with India in 1953 with Nehru and later with other prime ministers. We have been working with India. We are not working for any party. We are supplying strategic products like fighters to the Indian Air Force and the Indian government. That is what is most important," he said.
On Reliance as an offset partner which had no experience in manufacturing fighter jets, he clarified that the money being invested was not going to Reliance directly but in a joint venture that included Dassault. "I have engineers and workers from Dassault who are taking the lead as far as the industrial part of this deal is concerned. I have an Indian company like Reliance who is putting money into this JV as they want to develop their country. So the company is going to know how to produce aircraft," added Trappier.
"We are supposed to put in this company together about Rs 800 crore as 50:50. For the time being, to start work in the hangar and to pay workers and employees, we have already put in Rs 40 crore. But it will be increased to Rs 800 crore, which implies Rs 400 crore by Dassault in the coming five years," said Trappier.
He added that Dassault has seven years to perform offset. "During the first three years, we are not obliged to disclose with who we are working. We have already settled work and agreement with 30 companies, which represents 40 per cent of total offset obligation as per contract. Reliance is 10 per cent out of the 40, while rest 30 per cent is a direct agreement between these companies and Dassault," Trappier said.
When asked about the initial agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the subsequent breakdown of talks with the Indian PSU for production of Rafale jets, the Dassault CEO said that if the initial deal of 126 jets went through they would not have hesitated to work with HAL and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, there needs to be a "fair investigation" and not "doctored explanations". "It's a fixed match between the BJP government and Dassault and PR stunts of PM Modi. Eric Trappier can't hide the blatant corruption," he alleged.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Trappier's interview exposed the lies spread by Congress and its president. The Rafale fighter aircraft was inducted to subserve the security needs of the Indian Air Force. Prasad said, "Gandhi's behaviour is quite irresponsible and completely oblivious to the security needs of India. It is no surprise that the language of Rahul Gandhi and his friends in Pakistan are the same."
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the lies of Rahul Gandhi had been caught again. "The politics of lies, deceit and conspiracy promoted by Rahul Gandhi has yet again been exposed... He has become shameless to an extent which is unimaginable," Patra alleged.
JET TURBULENCE
Rahul Gandhi alleges Dassault invested Rs 284 cr in a firm promoted by Anil Ambani for Rafale deal
WAR OF WORDS
I don’t lie. The truth I declared before and the statements I made are true. I don’t have a reputation of lying. In my position as CEO, you don’t lie.
Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation
We don’t need doctored explanations. It’s a fixed match between BJP government and Dassault and PR stunts of PM Modi.
Randeep Surjewala, Congress chief spokesperson
The politics of lies, deceit and conspiracy promoted by Rahul Gandhi has yet again been exposed... He has become shameless to an extent which is unimaginable.
Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson
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