Below we have listed the controversies surrounding the Rafale deal and the reason Anil Ambani reportedly wrote to Rahul Gandhi
In September 2016, Modi Government entered a pact with the French government to purchase 36 new Rafale fighter jets. Rafale deal was worth 7.87 billion euro. Besides Rafale fighter jets, under the direct deal, India will also get latest weapons like the Meteor and Scalp missiles. The deal also includes a five-year support package that assures high availability of the fighter.
An additional clause was also a part of the Rafale deal, according to which France will invest 30 per cent of the 7.8 billion Euros in India's military aeronautics-related research programmes and 20 per cent into local production of Rafale components
For Rafale deal, India will pay a 15 per cent advance of the total amount and deliveries will start in three years. In 2012, the Rafale was chosen over rival offers from the United States, Europe and Russia.
But what is so special about Rafale jets? The twin-engine Rafale combat jet is a multi-role fighter. Rafale jets are eligible for air-to-air and air-to-ground attack and are nuclear-capable. Rafale Jets have on-board Electronic Warfare (EW) systems can and they can also perform reconnaissance and radar jamming roles.
In 2016, Congress accused the government of causing "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money by signing the deal worth Rs 58,000 crores. The Congress also alleged that the cost of each aircraft is three times more than what the previous UPA had negotiated with France in 2012.
Congress also further claimed that the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence Limited had been picked with biasness to be the French firm's Indian partner.
Below we have listed the controversies surrounding the Rafale deal. (Image: Dassault Aviation)
1. November 2017
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Reacting to the political warfare and Congress accusations, France reiterates that the Rafale deal is in India's best interest. However, Rahul Gandhi then tweeted that "Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India. Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?"
2. Modi govt rejects claims
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Refuting Rahul Gandhi's claims Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman said that allegations relating to the procurement deal for 36 Rafale fighter jet were "shameful" and that such bickering was a "disservice" to the armed forces.
3. Rahul Gandhi hits back
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Hitting back at the Defence Minister, Rahul Gandhi asked the minister that why her boss is "silencing" her. Gandhi asked a number of questions related to Rafale to PM Modi and the Defence Minister.
Reacting to him, Sitharaman 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.
4. Reliance Group reacted over Rafale
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The Reliance Group firm has maintained that the joint venture between Reliance Aerostructure Ltd and Dassault Aviation was a bilateral agreement between two private companies and had nothing to do with the government.
Nirmala Sitharaman also clarified that all the provisions of Defence Procurement Procedure have been followed and the inter-governmental agreement on the Rafale deal was signed only after the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
5. March 2018
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Modi government ruled out any possibility of issuing a white paper on Rafale deal.
6. July 2018
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In a scathing attack on government over Rafale deal, Rahul Gandhi said that he met the French President and the French government had denied presence of any pact with India. Furthermore, according to Rahul Gandhi French President also said that he did not have any issue if the details of the Rafale deal should be made public.
7. Nirmala Sitharaman hits back again
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"It was an agreement of secrecy. Protection of classified information. I am not privy to what the French President told Rahul Gandhi. But I am referring to two particular interviews that the French President had given to Indian TV channels", the Defence Minister said.
8. France rebuts Rahul Gandhi
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“We have noted the statement of Mr Rahul Gandhi before the Indian Parliament. France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner, that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France.These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons. As the President of the French Republic indicated publicly in an interview given to India Today on 9th March 2018, ‘In India and in France, when a deal is very sensitive, we can’t reveal all details’," Spokesperson of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said in Paris.
9. Previlage motion against Rahul Gandhi
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BJP MPs decided move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi for putting forth falsehood and misleading the Parliament. However, the Congress maintained his claims as before.
10. Anil Ambani files Rs 5000 crore defamation suit
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Anil Ambani's Reliance Group companies have filed a Rs 5,000 crore defamation suit against Congress-owned National Herald, claiming an article published in the newspaper regarding the Rafale fighter jet deal was "libellous and derogatory".
They also filed a second, similar suit against Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil seeking Rs 5,000 crore in damages for defamation.The two suits were filed by Reliance Defence, Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Aerostructure, which belong to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group.
