Upping the ante with regard to the latest developments pertaining to the alleged scam in the Rafale deal, senior Congress leader and former Defence Minister A. K. Antony today said the “intriguing silence” of the Modi government points towards mal-intent to hush up the “corruption”, and remarked that the government has no option but to order a probe by a joint parliamentary committee into the matter.
Referring to the French Public Prosecution Services appointing a Judge to investigate the alleged corruption, influence paddling and brazen favouritism in the deal to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft, Antony said prima facie the wrongdoing in the deal is now apparent.
“The intriguing silence of Modi government points towards mal-intent to hush up the corruption. The refusal of the BJP government to probe and punish the guilty is even more astonishing, pointing towards a concerted effort to bury the scam,” Antony said.
The former defence minister sought to place under focus the role of Prime Minister Modi, saying he had gone to Paris on April 10, 2015 when he unilaterally announced the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft without going through any tender process and in complete derogation of the ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’.
“Every defence expert was shocked by this unilateral order which is India’s biggest defence deal. It was even more surprising because there was an ongoing negotiation for purchase of 126 Rafale Aircraft in pursuance of an international tender, which envisaged 108 aircraft to be made in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and 18 aircraft to be purchased in fly away condition. This international tender for 126 aircraft also envisaged the all important ‘Transfer of Technology’ to India,” Antony said.
As he undertook a recap of the Congress' allegations against the Modi regime in the Rafale deal, he said that till today, neither the prime minister nor the BJP government have explained the reason for reducing the number of aircraft from 126 to 36 or the reason for sacrificing ‘Transfer of Technology’ to India.
“BJP government has also not explained the basis or the reason for enhancing the price of the 36 aircraft or for denying the offset contract to the government’s PSU, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. BJP government has also not stated the reason for the fact that when clearance from ‘Defence Acquisition Council’ had been given and there was an ongoing tender for which negotiations were being finalised, how the prime minister and the government could unilaterally enter into another agreement,” Antony said.
As the latest developments give the Congress a reason to declare that it stands vindicated in having raised the Rafale issue in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Antony said the subsequent series of events and documents placed in public record have now affirmed the stance of the Congress Party about the wrongdoing and corruption in the Rafale deal.
Antony's statement was in continuance of the Congress keeping up its attacks on the Modi government in the light of the latest developments in France. He said that it was mysterious that despite 48 hours having lapsed, the prime minister and the defence minister have maintained complete silence on ordering of corruption investigation into Rafale deal by the French Public Prosecution Services.
“The simple question is, why has the government chosen to remain ‘mum’? Why have the prime minister and the defence minister not come forward to react on the shocking and sensational development of a corruption probe in the Rafale deal by the Public Prosecution Services of France? Can Modi government escape accountability for corruption allegations by its intriguing silence? Is it not the responsibility of the government to come forward and accept the truth?” Antony said.
He pointed out that as 36 aircraft are being purchased by the Modi government under an ‘Inter-Governmental Agreement’ and one party to the agreement, which is the French Government, has proceeded to order an investigation through a judge, the only way forward for the Modi regime is to accept accountability and order a free and fair JPC probe into the entire set of facts, evidence and allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal.