‘Globalised corruption. Modiji please tell Anil, there’s a big problem in France’: Rahul Gandhi on Rafale deal  

Armed with fresh ammunition in the ongoing Rafale deal spate with the Modi government, Congress party president on Friday launched yet another salvo at the ruling dispensation.

Quoting a news report, Congress president in a fresh attack on Modi government tweeted ''This #Rafale aircraft really does fly far and fast! It's also going to drop some big bunker buster bombs in the next couple of weeks.''

According to the newspaper report, two days before then French President Francois Hollande came to New Delhi as the Republic Day chief guest in January 2016 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering 36 Rafale aircraft, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Entertainment entered into a deal to produce a film with Hollande’s partner and actor Julie Gayet.

Later that year, Ambani’s Reliance Defence became part of the offset programme of the Rs 59,000-crore Rafale deal through Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), in which it holds a 51 per cent stake. Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale, holds 49 per cent stake in DRAL.

Describing the deal a ''globalised corruption'', Gandhi added ''Modi Ji please tell Anil, there is a big problem in France.''

Earlier Gandhi described the Rafale deal a ''great Indian robbery'' and asked the ruling party's opinion to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with a 24-hour deadline.

''Mr Jaitley, thanks for bringing the nation’s attention back to the GREAT #RAFALE ROBBERY! How about a Joint Parliamentary Committee to sort it out? Problem is, your Supreme Leader is protecting his friend, so this may be inconvenient. Do check & revert in 24 hrs. We’re waiting!,'' Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Responding to Rahul's charges, finance minister Arun Jaitley countered the former with 5 questions.

In his counter-offensive, Jaitley said that issue on Rafale raised is based on complete falsehood. It is expected from national political parties and its responsible leaders to keep themselves informed of the basic facts before they enter a public discourse on defence transactions.

The Congress, especially its president Rahul Gandhi, has been relentlessly attacking the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal.

The Congress says it is a scam and that the current government is paying more for the Rafale fighter jets than the original deal put together by the earlier UPA government. That Congress is implying kickbacks.

The Congress has also accused the Modi government of crony capitalism in making Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Ltd the Indian partner in the Rafale deal.

The original Indian partner had been Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) but it was suddenly replaced by Reliance Defence.

Reliance Defence has no prior experience in the aerospace industry.