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Francois Hollande words in tune with Rahul Gandhi’s: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

The finance minister said there appeared to be some “jugalbandi” (coordination) between the statements made by Hollande and Gandhi, which come months before the country goes to the polls.

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Francois Hollande went against his own statement over India’s purchase of fighter jets from France, and questioned the timing of the former French president’s comments, which he said seemed to be in sync with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of cronyism in the defence deal.

Hollande, who left office last year, said on Friday that French jet maker Dassault Aviation had been given no choice but to pick Anil Ambani-led Reliance as its partner for an offset clause in a 2016 deal to sell 36 fighter aircraft to India.

But in a follow-up later, he said he was “unaware” about the details and “only Dassault can comment on this”.

Citing this “contradiction”, Jaitley dismissed charges of wrongdoing levelled by the Congress, and ruled out scrapping of the deal, which roughly runs into Rs 58,000 crore, or $8.7billion.

In an interview on Sunday, the finance minister said there appeared to be some “jugalbandi” (coordination) between the statements made by Hollande and Gandhi, which come months before the country goes to the polls.

“I see perfect coincidence in the rhythm between Gandhi’s tweet on August 30 and a statement which is found to be inaccurate,” he said. 

“And therefore, the next day itself, Mr Hollande goes and backtracks on it,” Jaitley said. Gandhi had tweeted that “some bombs are going to be burst in Paris”, in what is now clear was a reference to the Rafale controversy. 

After Hollande’s first statement that Dassault “didn’t have a say”, the manufacturer issued a statement that it partnered with Reliance of its own accord. Yet, Hollande’s first announcement added fuel to Congress’s claims that the government had intervened to help Ambani, who is a Modi supporter and hails from the same state as him.

On Sunday, in a rebuttal to Hollande and Gandhi, Jaitley said that the “truth cannot have two versions”, and that some statements are made only to create controversy and, as such, do not have any credibility.

“It goes contrary to not only what the government of India is saying, but what the French government is saying and what Dassault themselves are saying,” he said, adding that the statement also contradicts all acquisition procedures.

In response, Rahul Gandhi called for a probe into the deal by a joint parliamentary committee. “Mr Jetlie’s speciality is his ability to spin ‘2 truths’, or lies, with fake self righteousness and indignation to defend the indefensible. It’s high time he, the RM and our PM stop lying and call a JPC to establish the full, uncorrupted truth about the Rafale Scam (sic),” read Gandhi’s tweet on Sunday.

TURBULENCE OVER JET DEAL

STRAINED TIES’: French govt said on Sunday it feared damage to its ties with India after Hollande remarks

COUNTERING CHARGES

Congress says as per price negotiated by its UPA govt during 2012-14, one Rafale jet cost Rs 526.10 cr, but BJP regime agreed to pay Rs 1,570.80 cr

Modi govt maintains it struck a deal at cheapest possible rates, and prices then and now cannot be compared

Oppn party alleges govt intervened to spin deal in Reliance’s favour, picking it over national defence conglomerate Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)

Govt says agreement between Dassault and Reliance a commercial, private one; neither French govt nor New Delhi played a role in it

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