Rahul on Rafale: Modi, Ambani carried out surgical strike on defence forces

With more details of the controversial Rafale deal emerging each day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Reliance Defence's Anil Ambani. "The PM and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a One Hundred & Thirty Thousand Crore, SURGICAL STRIKE on the Indian Defence forces. Modi Ji you dishonoured the blood of our martyred soldiers. Shame on you. You betrayed India's soul," Gandhi tweeted on Saturday. 

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi, by invoking the sentiments associated with soldiers, is playing the same card as PM Modi, as he led the opposition's attack on the Rafale deal. On Friday, too, the Congress President accused Modi of betraying India and dishonouring its soldiers, after former French president Francois Hollande's remarks contradicting the Indian government's stand.

Hollande was quoted by a French publication as saying that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice. "It was the Indian government that proposed this service group, and Dassault which negotiated with Ambani. We had no choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us," Hollande was reported as telling the French news service Mediapart.

Soon after Hollande's statements were published, the French government on Friday said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale fighter jet deal, asserting that French companies have the full freedom to select Indian firms for the contract. "The French government is in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners who have been, are being, or will be selected by French companies," it said.

Following this, Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, clarified that it had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfil offset obligations of the deal. The government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

In a statement, Dassault Aviation said it had decided to make a partnership with Reliance Defence in accordance with the policy of 'Make in India'.

Leaders of the Congress, the Left and the Aam Aadmi Party among others lashed out at the government soon after Hollande's comments were reported.

The ruling BJP did not offer any official comment immediately while the ministry of defence said in a tweet that it is verifying "Hollande's statement that GOI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale".

"It is reiterated that neither the government of India nor the French government had any say in the commercial decision," it added.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said "this is serious, if accurately reported".