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OpiniOn

Flying deep inside the

Rafale deal controversy

While the deal is being described by the opposition as one of the
Spotlight biggest scandals in the world, the government has dismissed the
charges as baseless but has so far failed to back its argument
Vipin pubby
hough the NDA govern- April 2022”.
ment has remained in The other document is a press
controversies for its deci- release by the Reliance Defence and
Former resident editor sions like demonetisation Aerospace, which is the Indian partner
of The Indian Express, and roll out of the Goods of the French manufacturer of Rafale. In
Vipin Pubby is a senior T and Services Act, it had a press release dated February 16, 2017, it
journalist based in never been charged with corruption. had stated that the total price of the deal
Chandigarh. He can The significance of the Rafale deal is was about 60,000 crore for 36 aircraft
be contacted at that this is the first major corruption or 1,660 crore per aircraft.
vipinpubby@gmail. charge against the government and the The second significant aspect of the
com. The views opposition has found an issue which deal, which was signed by French prime
expressed are personal it could drum up during the election minister Emmanuel Macron and his
year. Although corruption charges have Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in
not been substantiated with any hard April 2015 in Paris, was that the earlier
evidence, the issue is likely to resonate plan was to purchase 126 aircraft but
all through the election campaign un- the number was reduced to 36 in the
less the government comes out with revised deal. The charge is that it was
convincing replies. done without consulting the Air Force
There are at least two aspects of the or the Defence ministry. The actual
deal which require clarifications and requirements of the Air Force is much
explanations to the general public. One higher as its depleting fleet has not been
is that the price of each jet has been strengthened for a long time.
increased by a whopping 1000 crore The third controversy relating to
per aircraft to about 1600 crore. The the deal is the involvement of a newly
massive increase sounds unbelievable constituted private company, Reliance
The price of each and unrealistic but the opposition has Defence Ltd, belonging to Anil Ambani.
The earlier deal had public sector unit
produced two documents to bolster its
jet in the Rafale claim. The first document stated that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as part
of negotiations for offset contract. The
the Rafale aircraft price was 670 crore
deal has been per aircraft. This was stated by Minister decision to drop the established and
increased by a of State for Defence in the Lok Sabha tested HAL in favour of the new Reli-
ance Company was indeed baffling. The
on November 8, 2016, while answering
whopping a question on the acquisition of fighter Company was floated barely two weeks
1000 crore to aircraft. before the deal was signed. The govern-
He had stated, and it is part of the
ment has, however, defended this aspect
about 1600 official proceedings of Lok Sabha, that by stating that it had nothing to do with
crore per aircraft. “an inter-governmental agreement the partnership as it was a decision of
the Dassault Aviation Company which
with the Government of French Repub-
The massive lic was signed on 23 September 2016 manufactures Rafale fighter aircraft.
Congress, which has been hit in the
increase sounds for the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft past by several scams like the infamous
along with requisite equipment, ser-
unbelievable and vices and weapons. Cost of each Rafale Bofors deal, has been in the forefront
aircraft is approximately 670 crore and of the attack on the Rafale deal. It took
unrealistic all the aircraft would be delivered by up the issue both inside and outside

Tehelka / 31 august 2018 48 www.Tehelka.com