The Supreme Court asked the government Wednesday what it did after documents related to the Rafale deal were allegedly stolen from the defence ministry. The allegation was made by Attorney General KK Venugopal.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a review petition of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dassault-aviation-welcomes-supreme-court-judgement-on-rafale-deal-184110">its December 2018 verdict on the Rafale deal</a> which had said the deal did not need to be probed.&nbsp;

The review petition is being heard by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph. The petitioners include former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and the advocate Prashant Bhushan.&nbsp;

Bhushan had on Wednesday referred to a newspaper article, when Venugopal said the write-ups were based on stolen documents and that an investigation into the "theft" is ongoing.&nbsp;

Venugopal said the reports were published "to influence the mind of court".&nbsp;

To which Bhushan replied: “Before AG begins, like to bring to your notice that any attempt to intimidate petitioners before the court amounts to criminal contempt. &nbsp;When AG says we are going to prosecute not only newspapers but also petitioners, it amounts to intimidation”&nbsp;

Venugopal then said: “The stolen documents were not supposed to be in public domain. RTI will not apply to security of state and to acts affecting friendly relations with foreign states. Look at the damage this article has done.”

Venugopal then said the acquisition of the Rafales “has taken six and seven years", while referring to the current tensions between India and Pakistan. "F-16 came to bomb us, how are we to be defended? First Rafale was to be delivered by September... 32 pilots sent to France for training.

"This is extent to which we are trying to protect the country. They want this not to be materialised," he added.&nbsp;

Justice Joseph then replied to the attorney general that national security cannot be used to cover up a possible act of commission.&nbsp;

"Suppose a law is broken, should we take shelter under national security?" he asked.&nbsp;

And he added that "stolen documents can be looked into, even if they are acquired illegally.”&nbsp;

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Venugopal told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the source of the document (on which the write-up&nbsp;in The Hindu was based) should be disclosed to the court by the people who published it.&nbsp;

Bhushan meanwhile reminded the court that "in Coalgate and 2G scam cases, I brought documents from a whistleblower".&nbsp;

The matter was adjourned till March 14.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court asked the government Wednesday what it did after documents related to the Rafale deal were allegedly stolen from the defence ministry. The allegation was made by Attorney General KK Venugopal.

The Supreme Court asked the government Wednesday what it did after documents related to the Rafale deal were allegedly stolen from the defence ministry. The allegation was made by Attorney General KK Venugopal. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a review petition of its December 2018 verdict on the Rafale deal which had said the deal did not need to be probed. The review petition is being heard by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph. The petitioners include former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and the advocate Prashant Bhushan. Bhushan had on Wednesday referred to a newspaper article, when Venugopal said the write-ups were based on stolen documents and that an investigation into the "theft" is ongoing. Venugopal said the reports were published "to influence the mind of court". To which Bhushan replied: “Before AG begins, like to bring to your notice that any attempt to intimidate petitioners before the court amounts to criminal contempt. When AG says we are going to prosecute not only newspapers but also petitioners, it amounts to intimidation” Venugopal then said: “The stolen documents were not supposed to be in public domain. RTI will not apply to security of state and to acts affecting friendly relations with foreign states. Look at the damage this article has done.” Venugopal then said the acquisition of the Rafales “has taken six and seven years", while referring to the current tensions between India and Pakistan. "F-16 came to bomb us, how are we to be defended? First Rafale was to be delivered by September... 32 pilots sent to France for training. "This is extent to which we are trying to protect the country. They want this not to be materialised," he added. Justice Joseph then replied to the attorney general that national security cannot be used to cover up a possible act of commission. "Suppose a law is broken, should we take shelter under national security?" he asked. And he added that "stolen documents can be looked into, even if they are acquired illegally.” Rafale Jet Deal case: CJI says, "Primary question is that should the court not look into the evidence or the document, if there is relevance or corruption?"AG Venugopal says, "It should not be looked into as it deals with defence and secrets." — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2019 × Venugopal told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the source of the document (on which the write-up in The Hindu was based) should be disclosed to the court by the people who published it. Bhushan meanwhile reminded the court that "in Coalgate and 2G scam cases, I brought documents from a whistleblower". The matter was adjourned till March 14.

Supreme Court asks government what it did after it says Rafale documents were stolen

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but...."

You may ask why the "but' -- and thereby hangs the tale of how to understand the purchase of military jets which has turned controversial with Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of corruption in the deal, though there is no evidence of payoffs at all. Compared to what happened in the Bofors arms purchase scandal in the late 1980s, the Rafale deal allegations look like a picnic. 
 
In the well-documented Bofors case, the very same Narasimhan Ram, the journalist at The Hindu who is now writing articles critical of the NDA government because it overruled dissent by defence ministry officials, was speaking of Swiss bank accounts and secret payoffs that pointed at the very least to a cover-up by the then Congress government under Rahul's father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

But then, the problem is that the Rafale deal is a colourful one with circumstantial evidence pointing to unusual procedures that can be questioned on grounds of transparency. This is where we need a "But." The fact is that confidentiality is required in defence deals. The fact is that no less than the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India said he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of pricing involving the Rafale jets. The fact is also that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (the institution that in the Bofors case criticised the Rajiv Gandhi government) has also said the Rafale deal value was cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA government led by the Congress.

But there are 'buts' still hanging in the air of New Delhi because the CAG is yet to pronounce its views on the controversial offset deal in which Dassault was left to choose its partner, which turned out to be the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG group. The key point is that the government says it did not intervene in Dassault's choice of partner in which public sector HAL was pushed to the sidelines. The public sector is a holy cow in India and I do not rule out questions continuing to pour out on the issue. It is perfectly normal and acceptable for political bosses to overrule bureaucratic recommendations, as it has happened in the Rafale case, but in a politically charged atmosphere, questions do not go away.

The big questions: Is not intervening in the choice of offset partners by a government a good practice or not when the money in question goes out of the Indian taxpayer's pocket? In politics, sometimes, "not doing" is perceived as a form of doing (an error of omission) and this is what leaves Congress with one more round of ammunition that leads to a "but" being left open in the game.

Also, there is the nagging question of whether the rules of confidentiality applied by the NDA government will be employed by a future government formed by some other party or coalition to cloak things. In the Bofors case, there was a lot of attempted secrecy. The Rafale case sets a precedent that may worry long-term thinkers. How does one establish a technical difference between desirable confidentiality and undesirable secrecy? That is the source of another "But" on my part.

There is also the issue of whether there has been any "influence peddling" and "undue advantage" which are not exactly bribery in the conventional sense of the term but falls within the international lexicon of corruption.

The Anti Bribery Guidance website says 'influence peddling' occurs "when an undue payment or benefit in kind is promised or given to a person who has a real or apparent influence on the decision-making of a public official with the intent that the person persuades the decision maker to act in a desired manner. The emphasis here is on 'undue' to distinguish it from legitimate influence seeking such as lobbying or advocacy."

In the coming days, some of the issues related to the Rafale deal will be examined from this point of view. You can say the deal is nowhere near the murkiness of Bofors, but then, this is not same India. New era decisions will face newer questions. 
 
(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/narendra-modi-emerges-from-rafale-in-better-shape-than-rajiv-gandhi-from-bofors-2180524.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but.

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but...." You may ask why the "but' -- and thereby hangs the tale of how to understand the purchase of military jets which has turned controversial with Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of corruption in the deal, though there is no evidence of payoffs at all. Compared to what happened in the Bofors arms purchase scandal in the late 1980s, the Rafale deal allegations look like a picnic. In the well-documented Bofors case, the very same Narasimhan Ram, the journalist at The Hindu who is now writing articles critical of the NDA government because it overruled dissent by defence ministry officials, was speaking of Swiss bank accounts and secret payoffs that pointed at the very least to a cover-up by the then Congress government under Rahul's father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But then, the problem is that the Rafale deal is a colourful one with circumstantial evidence pointing to unusual procedures that can be questioned on grounds of transparency. This is where we need a "But." The fact is that confidentiality is required in defence deals. The fact is that no less than the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India said he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of pricing involving the Rafale jets. The fact is also that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (the institution that in the Bofors case criticised the Rajiv Gandhi government) has also said the Rafale deal value was cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA government led by the Congress. But there are 'buts' still hanging in the air of New Delhi because the CAG is yet to pronounce its views on the controversial offset deal in which Dassault was left to choose its partner, which turned out to be the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG group. The key point is that the government says it did not intervene in Dassault's choice of partner in which public sector HAL was pushed to the sidelines. The public sector is a holy cow in India and I do not rule out questions continuing to pour out on the issue. It is perfectly normal and acceptable for political bosses to overrule bureaucratic recommendations, as it has happened in the Rafale case, but in a politically charged atmosphere, questions do not go away. The big questions: Is not intervening in the choice of offset partners by a government a good practice or not when the money in question goes out of the Indian taxpayer's pocket? In politics, sometimes, "not doing" is perceived as a form of doing (an error of omission) and this is what leaves Congress with one more round of ammunition that leads to a "but" being left open in the game. Also, there is the nagging question of whether the rules of confidentiality applied by the NDA government will be employed by a future government formed by some other party or coalition to cloak things. In the Bofors case, there was a lot of attempted secrecy. The Rafale case sets a precedent that may worry long-term thinkers. How does one establish a technical difference between desirable confidentiality and undesirable secrecy? That is the source of another "But" on my part. There is also the issue of whether there has been any "influence peddling" and "undue advantage" which are not exactly bribery in the conventional sense of the term but falls within the international lexicon of corruption. The Anti Bribery Guidance website says 'influence peddling' occurs "when an undue payment or benefit in kind is promised or given to a person who has a real or apparent influence on the decision-making of a public official with the intent that the person persuades the decision maker to act in a desired manner. The emphasis here is on 'undue' to distinguish it from legitimate influence seeking such as lobbying or advocacy." In the coming days, some of the issues related to the Rafale deal will be examined from this point of view. You can say the deal is nowhere near the murkiness of Bofors, but then, this is not same India. New era decisions will face newer questions. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Narendra Modi emerges from Rafale in better shape than Rajiv Gandhi from Bofors

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff. He has tweeted "CAG report has completely vindicated the stand of NDA Government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress."

The CAG report says that the fly-away price of the Rafale jet is the same as agreed in 2007 by the UPA government for 126 aircraft deal, Compared to that deal, India could manage to save 17.08 per cent money for specific enhancements in the present 36 Rafale contract.&nbsp;

The CAG report comes close on the heels of the huge Congress rally in Lucknow on January 11 to kickstart the party's election campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. This rally was led by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with the two newly appointed general secretaries of the party, Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the scion of the erstwhile ruling family of Gwalior Jyotiraditya Scindia, both in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress President used the Lucknow rally to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a thief.&nbsp;

Armed with the 141-page CAG report, Jaitley has lashed out at the Congress President and said in a tweet: "The entire pricing argument was factually wrong. The Rs. 30,000 crore favour to a private company is non-existent. He has also reminded people how in 1989 when the Congress government headed by Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they had manufactured a Saint Kitts against VP Singh. Because Modi has a clean image they are manufacturing a crisis.... This is exactly the repetition of 1989.”&nbsp;

When the Rafale deal is in focus, one should understand that acquisition by the Air Force has been disturbed for over 15 years.&nbsp;

As a consequence of this, about a dozen Air Force squadrons had suffered depleting strength and there was an emergency-like situation. Hence for the sake of augmenting air power, there were negotiations and renegotiations for 2 squadrons on a priority basis leading to the Rafale deal.

A lot of confusion has been created among the masses by the Congress party and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance of opposition parties) about Rafale. People need to be told that Rs. 30,000 crore offset has not gone entirely to Reliance. In fact, Reliance, chosen directly by Dassault under the offset clause, is there only for manufacturing the cockpit assembly for Falcon jets and the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) has already completed the first cockpit front section for a Falcon 2000 at its Nagpur manufacturing facility.&nbsp;

Also, the Congress leaders have been talking a lot about HAL not being brought in through the offset route for Rafale jets. In this regard, it is important to note that negotiations for Transfer of Technology (ToT) in the case of HAL had collapsed during the previous UPA regime and if negotiations were to start again, it would have taken another 2 to 3 years to arrive at an agreement.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might be enthused by the huge turnout at Congress party’s Lucknow rally. But in the coming days, she will have to be ready to face a burst of salvos for standing by Robert Vadra, her husband, when he went to the Enforcement Directorate to answer queries during the investigation into the alleged acquisition of properties in London worth millions of British Pound.&nbsp;

Her action by any standard goes against probity in public life. Priyanka would have risen in public esteem if she had detached herself and taken the stand that first her husband should get exonerated just as leaders, cutting across party lines, had done when they were roped in the Hawala scandal in the early ‘90s of the last Century. 
 
By not taking this position it is clear that in the case of the first family of the Congress party the family comes before the nation.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
 
&nbsp;

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff.

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff. He has tweeted "CAG report has completely vindicated the stand of NDA Government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress." The CAG report says that the fly-away price of the Rafale jet is the same as agreed in 2007 by the UPA government for 126 aircraft deal, Compared to that deal, India could manage to save 17.08 per cent money for specific enhancements in the present 36 Rafale contract. The CAG report comes close on the heels of the huge Congress rally in Lucknow on January 11 to kickstart the party's election campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. This rally was led by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with the two newly appointed general secretaries of the party, Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the scion of the erstwhile ruling family of Gwalior Jyotiraditya Scindia, both in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. The Congress President used the Lucknow rally to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a thief. Armed with the 141-page CAG report, Jaitley has lashed out at the Congress President and said in a tweet: "The entire pricing argument was factually wrong. The Rs. 30,000 crore favour to a private company is non-existent. He has also reminded people how in 1989 when the Congress government headed by Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they had manufactured a Saint Kitts against VP Singh. Because Modi has a clean image they are manufacturing a crisis.... This is exactly the repetition of 1989.” When the Rafale deal is in focus, one should understand that acquisition by the Air Force has been disturbed for over 15 years. As a consequence of this, about a dozen Air Force squadrons had suffered depleting strength and there was an emergency-like situation. Hence for the sake of augmenting air power, there were negotiations and renegotiations for 2 squadrons on a priority basis leading to the Rafale deal. A lot of confusion has been created among the masses by the Congress party and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance of opposition parties) about Rafale. People need to be told that Rs. 30,000 crore offset has not gone entirely to Reliance. In fact, Reliance, chosen directly by Dassault under the offset clause, is there only for manufacturing the cockpit assembly for Falcon jets and the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) has already completed the first cockpit front section for a Falcon 2000 at its Nagpur manufacturing facility. Also, the Congress leaders have been talking a lot about HAL not being brought in through the offset route for Rafale jets. In this regard, it is important to note that negotiations for Transfer of Technology (ToT) in the case of HAL had collapsed during the previous UPA regime and if negotiations were to start again, it would have taken another 2 to 3 years to arrive at an agreement. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might be enthused by the huge turnout at Congress party’s Lucknow rally. But in the coming days, she will have to be ready to face a burst of salvos for standing by Robert Vadra, her husband, when he went to the Enforcement Directorate to answer queries during the investigation into the alleged acquisition of properties in London worth millions of British Pound. Her action by any standard goes against probity in public life. Priyanka would have risen in public esteem if she had detached herself and taken the stand that first her husband should get exonerated just as leaders, cutting across party lines, had done when they were roped in the Hawala scandal in the early ‘90s of the last Century. By not taking this position it is clear that in the case of the first family of the Congress party the family comes before the nation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress must come clean on corruption charges against Robert Vadra first and then talk about Rafale deal

Amid the ongoing controversy over Rafale deal, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Wednesday tabled its report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force in Rajya Sabha. The report also contained details of the Rafale deal with the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation.&nbsp;

The report said compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08 per cent&nbsp;for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract.&nbsp;

The report also said that the proposed delivery schedule is better than the 126 aircraft deal.

The delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months, the CAG report further said.&nbsp;

The CAG report also said that the deal by the NDA govt was 2.86 per cent lower than the earlier UPA-era deal.

According to the&nbsp;report, a &nbsp;Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence &amp; Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements.

The government's decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault has become a controversial political issue, with the main opposition party Congress levelling allegations of corruption and impropriety, and the ruling dispensation defending the move.

The Rafale issue was also even raised before the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations.

However, the issue has continued to rock Parliament with Congress President Rahul Gandhi directly accusing the Prime Minister of benefiting industrialist Anil Ambani.

Meanwhile, Opposition Congress staged a protest outside the Parliament premises over Rafale deal.

Amid the ongoing controversy over Rafale deal, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Wednesday tabled its report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force in Rajya Sabha.

Amid the ongoing controversy over Rafale deal, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Wednesday tabled its report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force in Rajya Sabha. The report also contained details of the Rafale deal with the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The report said compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08 per cent for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract. The report also said that the proposed delivery schedule is better than the 126 aircraft deal. The delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months, the CAG report further said. The CAG report also said that the deal by the NDA govt was 2.86 per cent lower than the earlier UPA-era deal. According to the report, a Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company) was not fully compliant with the tender requirements. The government's decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault has become a controversial political issue, with the main opposition party Congress levelling allegations of corruption and impropriety, and the ruling dispensation defending the move. The Rafale issue was also even raised before the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations. However, the issue has continued to rock Parliament with Congress President Rahul Gandhi directly accusing the Prime Minister of benefiting industrialist Anil Ambani. Meanwhile, Opposition Congress staged a protest outside the Parliament premises over Rafale deal.

CAG report on Rafale says 17.08% saved for India Specific enhancements in 36 aircraft contract

Congress president Rahul Gandhi addresses media on Rafale deal

Rahul Gandhi slams CAG report as 'worthless'

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high.&nbsp;

"I think this is a very good sign because such confidence gives a&nbsp;boost to development," Modi said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

He went on to tell his fellow parliamentarians that we "will be proud of this sixteenth Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members (44) elected to the house."&nbsp;

Modi added that this Lok Sabha also "passed laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption" and the GST bill.

On the other hand, he said, this Lok Sabha "has also put an end to over 1,400 laws, it had become a jungle-like situation with too many laws. This is a good beginning but more work needs to be done... <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-want-you-to-become-pm-again-mulayam-singh-yadav-to-narendra-modi-197166">for which Mulayam Singh Yadav has given me his blessing</a>".&nbsp;

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PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: 3 dashak ke baad ek purn bahumat wali sarkaar bani aur azaadi ke baad pehli baar Congress gotra ki nahi hai aisi sarkaar bani hai. Congress gotra nahi aisi milijuli pehli sarkaar Atal ji ki thi aur aisi purn bahumat wali sarkaar 2014 mein bani <a href="https://t.co/Nh0Ss62fZY">pic.twitter.com/Nh0Ss62fZY</a>
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On the last day of parliament, Modi referred back to when he had first entered the house, saying he had learnt so much in parliament. "Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai (For the first time I understood that there is a difference between hugging someone and going for his throat.")

And he once again lashed out at his favourite target of attack — Congress president Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

He harked back to when Rahul had said he would make such a big announcement that there would be an earthquake. None came, Modi said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

He also referred to when Congress MPs had flown paper planes in parliament to protest against the Rafale deal. The dignity of democracy is so high, Modi said Wednesday, that no plane could touch it.&nbsp;

And of course he brought up Rahul's wink in parliament.

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PM Modi: Mein pehli baar yahan aya, bahut si cheezein jaanne ko mili. Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai. Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain. <a href="https://t.co/tuSHdq5bHn">pic.twitter.com/tuSHdq5bHn</a>
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"Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain," Modi said.&nbsp;

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high. "I think this is a very good sign because such confidence gives a boost to development," Modi said on Wednesday. He went on to tell his fellow parliamentarians that we "will be proud of this sixteenth Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members (44) elected to the house." Modi added that this Lok Sabha also "passed laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption" and the GST bill. On the other hand, he said, this Lok Sabha "has also put an end to over 1,400 laws, it had become a jungle-like situation with too many laws. This is a good beginning but more work needs to be done... for which Mulayam Singh Yadav has given me his blessing". PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: 3 dashak ke baad ek purn bahumat wali sarkaar bani aur azaadi ke baad pehli baar Congress gotra ki nahi hai aisi sarkaar bani hai. Congress gotra nahi aisi milijuli pehli sarkaar Atal ji ki thi aur aisi purn bahumat wali sarkaar 2014 mein bani pic.twitter.com/Nh0Ss62fZY — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × On the last day of parliament, Modi referred back to when he had first entered the house, saying he had learnt so much in parliament. "Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai (For the first time I understood that there is a difference between hugging someone and going for his throat.") And he once again lashed out at his favourite target of attack — Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He harked back to when Rahul had said he would make such a big announcement that there would be an earthquake. None came, Modi said on Wednesday. He also referred to when Congress MPs had flown paper planes in parliament to protest against the Rafale deal. The dignity of democracy is so high, Modi said Wednesday, that no plane could touch it. And of course he brought up Rahul's wink in parliament. PM Modi: Mein pehli baar yahan aya, bahut si cheezein jaanne ko mili. Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai. Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain. pic.twitter.com/tuSHdq5bHn — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × "Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain," Modi said.

Country's confidence at all-time high, Modi says on last day of parliament before elections

Union Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday said the lies of the Congress and opposition parties stand exposed by the CAG report on Rafale.

The report on Rafale, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, said that the deal negotiated by the NDA in 2016 was 2.86 per cent cheaper than what was negotiated by the UPA in 2007.

"It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynasty is right. Satyameva Jayate? the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum," Jaitley said in a series of tweets.

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The lies of ‘Mahajhootbandhan’ stand exposed by the CAG Report.
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He said the CAG report outlines that 2016 deal terms were lower in terms of price, faster in terms of delivery, while ensuring better maintenance and lower escalation.

"The lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by the CAG Report. How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation?" he questioned in the tweet.&nbsp;

Union Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday said the lies of the Congress and opposition parties stand exposed by the CAG report on Rafale. The report on Rafale, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, said that the deal negotiated by the NDA in 2016 was 2.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday said the lies of the Congress and opposition parties stand exposed by the CAG report on Rafale. The report on Rafale, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, said that the deal negotiated by the NDA in 2016 was 2.86 per cent cheaper than what was negotiated by the UPA in 2007. "It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynasty is right. Satyameva Jayate? the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum," Jaitley said in a series of tweets. The lies of ‘Mahajhootbandhan’ stand exposed by the CAG Report. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019 × He said the CAG report outlines that 2016 deal terms were lower in terms of price, faster in terms of delivery, while ensuring better maintenance and lower escalation. "The lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by the CAG Report. How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation?" he questioned in the tweet.

Lies of 'Mahajhootbandhan' stand exposed by CAG report, says Jaitley

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-to-table-cag-report-on-rafale-deal-in-parliament-tuesday-196795">Rafale fighter jet</a> as the Congress president claimed.

After Gandhi accused Modi of "treason" claiming that businessman Anil Ambani was aware in advance of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-modi-government-followed-upas-policy-on-inter-governmental-agreements-196598">Rafale deal India </a>and France had signed in 2015, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed his charges as "height of shamelessness and irresponsibility" and dubbed him a "lying machine".

The Union minister also put Airbus, whose internal e-mail was cited by the Congress president, in a dock, saying the European aircraft manufacturer is under a needle of suspicion in deals finalised during the previous Congress-led government.

The firm is also linked to a corporate lobbyist, who was recently deported from the UAE and is being probed on money laundering charges, he alleged.

"Let Rahul Gandhi explain where did he get an internal e-mail of Airbus.&nbsp;

Who is supplying him? ...There cannot be a bigger thing than this that he is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms," Prasad said.

He also took strong exception to the Congress leader charging Modi with "treason", saying his party had serious differences with former prime ministers coming from the Gandhi family over several "murky" defence deals signed during their term but it never accused them of treason.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has thrown muck at his own face by abusing our honest prime minister... We will expose his lies before the public," he said. 
Gandhi has repeatedly levelled allegations against the government over baseless claims, he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Gandhi accused Modi of acting as a "middleman" of Anil Ambani in the Rafale jet deal, as he cited the e-mail to claim the businessman was aware of the MoU before India and France signed it. 
In a scathing counter-attack targeting the Gandhi family, the BJP leader alleged that its members "looted" the country and that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in a case of "land grab", a reference to the National Herald case.

When they were in power, they made money by "brokering" deals and have now become a lobbyist for foreign firms for making money, Prasad added.

Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra is facing probe and he has the temerity to question our honest prime minister, he said.

"This is the height of shamelessness and irresponsibility. He called the prime minister traitor. What else we can expect from this lying machine," he said.

To Gandhi's dismissal of the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar auditor general" report, the BJP leader said the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them. 
&nbsp;

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of Rafale fighter jet as the Congress president claimed.

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of Rafale fighter jet as the Congress president claimed. After Gandhi accused Modi of "treason" claiming that businessman Anil Ambani was aware in advance of the Rafale deal India and France had signed in 2015, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed his charges as "height of shamelessness and irresponsibility" and dubbed him a "lying machine". The Union minister also put Airbus, whose internal e-mail was cited by the Congress president, in a dock, saying the European aircraft manufacturer is under a needle of suspicion in deals finalised during the previous Congress-led government. The firm is also linked to a corporate lobbyist, who was recently deported from the UAE and is being probed on money laundering charges, he alleged. "Let Rahul Gandhi explain where did he get an internal e-mail of Airbus. Who is supplying him? ...There cannot be a bigger thing than this that he is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms," Prasad said. He also took strong exception to the Congress leader charging Modi with "treason", saying his party had serious differences with former prime ministers coming from the Gandhi family over several "murky" defence deals signed during their term but it never accused them of treason. "He (Rahul Gandhi) has thrown muck at his own face by abusing our honest prime minister... We will expose his lies before the public," he said. Gandhi has repeatedly levelled allegations against the government over baseless claims, he said. Earlier Tuesday, Gandhi accused Modi of acting as a "middleman" of Anil Ambani in the Rafale jet deal, as he cited the e-mail to claim the businessman was aware of the MoU before India and France signed it. In a scathing counter-attack targeting the Gandhi family, the BJP leader alleged that its members "looted" the country and that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in a case of "land grab", a reference to the National Herald case. When they were in power, they made money by "brokering" deals and have now become a lobbyist for foreign firms for making money, Prasad added. Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra is facing probe and he has the temerity to question our honest prime minister, he said. "This is the height of shamelessness and irresponsibility. He called the prime minister traitor. What else we can expect from this lying machine," he said. To Gandhi's dismissal of the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar auditor general" report, the BJP leader said the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them.

BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of acting as a defence lobbyist

Rahul Gandhi attacks govt over Rafale deal

At a time when the Narendra Modi government is under attack over the Rafale deal, it is emerging that the policy for signing inter-governmental agreements without "classically" following the Standard Operating Procedure or Standard Contract Document was laid down by the previous Congress-led UPA government in 2013.

The Indian negotiating team, which firmed up the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from French company Dassault through an inter-governmental agreement, followed that policy of the UPA government, top official sources said in Delhi on Monday.

In 2013, the UPA government came up with a new policy which allows the Defence Ministry to not follow the laid down rules and sign inter-governmental agreements with friendly foreign countries as per mutually agreed provisions between both sides.

"There may be occasions when procurements would have to be done from friendly foreign countries which may be necessitated due to geo-strategic advantages that are likely to accrue to our country. Such procurements would not classically follow the Standard Procurement Procedure and the Standard Contract Document but would be based on mutually agreed provisions by the Governments of both the countries. Such procurements will be done based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement after clearance from CFA (Competent Financial Authority)," the para 71 of the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2013 clarifies.

The sources said the Indian Negotiation Team in the Rafale deal had relied on these provisions of the DPP-2013 while finalising the contract for the combat aircraft.

The DPP-2013 came into force in 2013 when the UPA government was in power and AK Antony was the Defence Minister.

Media reports have targeted the NDA government for deviating from the standard clauses in the defence procurement procedure while signing the Rafale deal including the anti-corruption clauses that are applied to private contractors.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

At a time when the Narendra Modi government is under attack over the Rafale deal, it is emerging that the policy for signing inter-governmental agreements without "classically" following the Standard Operating Procedure or Standard Contract Document was laid down by the previous Congress-led UPA government in 2013.

At a time when the Narendra Modi government is under attack over the Rafale deal, it is emerging that the policy for signing inter-governmental agreements without "classically" following the Standard Operating Procedure or Standard Contract Document was laid down by the previous Congress-led UPA government in 2013. The Indian negotiating team, which firmed up the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from French company Dassault through an inter-governmental agreement, followed that policy of the UPA government, top official sources said in Delhi on Monday. In 2013, the UPA government came up with a new policy which allows the Defence Ministry to not follow the laid down rules and sign inter-governmental agreements with friendly foreign countries as per mutually agreed provisions between both sides. "There may be occasions when procurements would have to be done from friendly foreign countries which may be necessitated due to geo-strategic advantages that are likely to accrue to our country. Such procurements would not classically follow the Standard Procurement Procedure and the Standard Contract Document but would be based on mutually agreed provisions by the Governments of both the countries. Such procurements will be done based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement after clearance from CFA (Competent Financial Authority)," the para 71 of the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2013 clarifies. The sources said the Indian Negotiation Team in the Rafale deal had relied on these provisions of the DPP-2013 while finalising the contract for the combat aircraft. The DPP-2013 came into force in 2013 when the UPA government was in power and AK Antony was the Defence Minister. Media reports have targeted the NDA government for deviating from the standard clauses in the defence procurement procedure while signing the Rafale deal including the anti-corruption clauses that are applied to private contractors.

Modi government followed UPA's policy on inter-governmental agreements: Official sources on Rafale deal

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-reaction-nothing-to-worry-said-manohar-parrikar-on-defence-ministrys-dissent-note-on-rafale-deal-196056">Rafale deal</a> was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

The party's remarks came after a report in The Hindu newspaper Friday claimed that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-issue-sitharaman-terms-news-item-distorted-wonders-if-doubts-are-being-created-deliberately-196122">Defence Ministry </a>had raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal between India and France.

The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Modi gave a speech on "patriotism" in Parliament on Thursday and defended the deal. "But the very next day, the 'black page' (document) came out, which silenced those raising patriotic slogans and thumping benches in the House," it said.

Without naming anyone, the Shiv Sena said that Modi was expected to answer if the deal was finalised to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

Referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism of the government on the Rafale issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked why the opposition should be blamed for it.

"The opponents may perish (politically), but truth will stay alive," it said.

"The prime minister made the oft-repeated allegation (in Parliament) that the Congress does not want strengthening of the defence services. And the next day, documents surface, showing how extreme Modi's personal interest in the deal was. What to make out of it?" the Sena asked.

"Modi was directly 'dealing' in the Rafale transactions. Key people like defence minister, defence secretary were kept away from it. Modi himself took decisions on issues like prices of Rafale (planes) and who would get its contract. Hence, he will have to face allegations and criticism," it claimed.

"How does seeking explanations on issues of national security become criticism of the country," the party asked.

Modi had Thursday said in Parliament that the opposition could criticise him and the BJP, but not the nation over the issue.

The Sena on Saturday further alleged that the definitions of nationalism and patriotism stood "changed" under the current BJP-led regime.

"Those who sing paeans of Rafale deal are patriots, while those raising questions about its pricing are being labelled as traitors now," it claimed.

The BJP's warring ally added that people of the country would keep asking questions till they get a satisfactory answer on why a plane costing Rs 500 crore was bought at Rs 1,600 crore.

It also said that Modi had ruled the country single-handedly for the past four-and-half years. "Yet, blaming the Congress for issues such as price rise and corruption is akin to shrouding own (the government's) failures," it said.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the Rafale deal was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the Rafale deal was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist. The party's remarks came after a report in The Hindu newspaper Friday claimed that the Defence Ministry had raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal between India and France. The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Modi gave a speech on "patriotism" in Parliament on Thursday and defended the deal. "But the very next day, the 'black page' (document) came out, which silenced those raising patriotic slogans and thumping benches in the House," it said. Without naming anyone, the Shiv Sena said that Modi was expected to answer if the deal was finalised to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist. Referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism of the government on the Rafale issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked why the opposition should be blamed for it. "The opponents may perish (politically), but truth will stay alive," it said. "The prime minister made the oft-repeated allegation (in Parliament) that the Congress does not want strengthening of the defence services. And the next day, documents surface, showing how extreme Modi's personal interest in the deal was. What to make out of it?" the Sena asked. "Modi was directly 'dealing' in the Rafale transactions. Key people like defence minister, defence secretary were kept away from it. Modi himself took decisions on issues like prices of Rafale (planes) and who would get its contract. Hence, he will have to face allegations and criticism," it claimed. "How does seeking explanations on issues of national security become criticism of the country," the party asked. Modi had Thursday said in Parliament that the opposition could criticise him and the BJP, but not the nation over the issue. The Sena on Saturday further alleged that the definitions of nationalism and patriotism stood "changed" under the current BJP-led regime. "Those who sing paeans of Rafale deal are patriots, while those raising questions about its pricing are being labelled as traitors now," it claimed. The BJP's warring ally added that people of the country would keep asking questions till they get a satisfactory answer on why a plane costing Rs 500 crore was bought at Rs 1,600 crore. It also said that Modi had ruled the country single-handedly for the past four-and-half years. "Yet, blaming the Congress for issues such as price rise and corruption is akin to shrouding own (the government's) failures," it said.

PM should answer if Rafale deal meant to strengthen IAF or industrialist: Shiv Sena

India's defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman rubbishes newspaper report; hits back at Rahul Gandhi

Defence Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-flogging-a-dead-horse-says-sitharaman-after-uproar-in-parliament-over-rafale-196013">Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday</a> described a media report on Rafale deal as "slanderous". The report published by a leading Indian daily stated that the defence ministry objected to the "parallel negotiations" by the Prime Minister's Office into the deal.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Sitharaman brought to notice the comments made by the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar on the MoD dissent note. She alleged that the publication "conveniently" decided not to report Parrikar's comments.&nbsp;

In a copy of the Ministry of Defence' dissent note on Rafale negotiations accessed by news agency ANI, Parrikar noted, "It appears PMO and French President office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting. Para 5 appears to be an over-reaction".

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ANI accesses the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s reply to MoD dissent note on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> negotiations. "Defence Secretary (G Mohan) may resolve the matter in consultation with Principal Secretary to PM" <a href="https://t.co/yXGQJNiDvB">pic.twitter.com/yXGQJNiDvB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1093768778448556032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In a written remark on the note Parrikar further added, "remain calm, nothing to worry, everything is going alright".

Ex-defence secretary G Mohan Kumar, who at the time handled negotiations on Rafale, told ANI that whatever has been brought out by media reports had nothing to do with the pricing issue.

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“It was incumbent on the newspaper, the Hindu to put the reply of then Raksha Mantri Shri Parrikar on record too in its story but they omitted it.” 
 
Watch full statement by Raksha Mantri Smt. <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> in Lok Sabha today on a malicious news report published on the Rafale deal. <a href="https://t.co/MwecghzTY7">pic.twitter.com/MwecghzTY7</a>
— BJP (@BJP4India) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1093780089525817344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"It was about sovereign guarantees and general terms and conditions," G Mohan Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal SBP Sinha, who headed Rafale negotiations from the Indian side, expressed dissatisfaction over the media report and claimed that "the remarks of the Defence Minister are not there".

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Air Marshal SBP Sinha: Note has nothing to do with Indian team's negotiation on Rafale procurement as this note wasn't initiated by Indian negotiating team. It has been initiated by SK Sharma, who was not part of Indian negotiation team. On whose behest he initiated this note? <a href="https://t.co/ufx5q2xGOK">https://t.co/ufx5q2xGOK</a>
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"It was very surprising for me to know that in the article printed today a note within MoD has been used to malign this procurement by concealing facts, the remarks of the Defence Minister are not there," Sinha told news agency ANI.&nbsp;

"The note has nothing to do with Indian team's negotiation on Rafale procurement as this note wasn't initiated by Indian negotiating team. It has been initiated by SK Sharma, who was not part of Indian negotiation team. On whose behest he initiated this note?" Sinha added.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused PM Modi of robbing the Indian Air Force of more than four billion dollars.

Gandhi cited a newspaper report that alleged that the Prime Minister's Office held parallel negotiations with France, which the defence ministry had objected to.

The Congress-led Opposition had disrupted the lower house of Parliament after a report claimed the then defence secretary had objected to the PMO allegedly conducting price negotiations with the French company.

Sitharaman said the Opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests and not working in the interests of the Indian Air Force.

India's upper house of Parliament the Rajya Sabha was also disrupted after Congress sought to raise the Rafale issue.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday described a media report on Rafale deal as "slanderous". The report published by a leading Indian daily stated that the defence ministry objected to the "parallel negotiations" by the Prime Minister's Office into the deal.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday described a media report on Rafale deal as "slanderous". The report published by a leading Indian daily stated that the defence ministry objected to the "parallel negotiations" by the Prime Minister's Office into the deal. Sitharaman brought to notice the comments made by the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar on the MoD dissent note. She alleged that the publication "conveniently" decided not to report Parrikar's comments. In a copy of the Ministry of Defence' dissent note on Rafale negotiations accessed by news agency ANI, Parrikar noted, "It appears PMO and French President office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting. Para 5 appears to be an over-reaction". ANI accesses the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s reply to MoD dissent note on #Rafale negotiations. "Defence Secretary (G Mohan) may resolve the matter in consultation with Principal Secretary to PM" pic.twitter.com/yXGQJNiDvB — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2019 × In a written remark on the note Parrikar further added, "remain calm, nothing to worry, everything is going alright". Ex-defence secretary G Mohan Kumar, who at the time handled negotiations on Rafale, told ANI that whatever has been brought out by media reports had nothing to do with the pricing issue. “It was incumbent on the newspaper, the Hindu to put the reply of then Raksha Mantri Shri Parrikar on record too in its story but they omitted it.” Watch full statement by Raksha Mantri Smt. @nsitharaman in Lok Sabha today on a malicious news report published on the Rafale deal. pic.twitter.com/MwecghzTY7 — BJP (@BJP4India) February 8, 2019 × "It was about sovereign guarantees and general terms and conditions," G Mohan Kumar said. Meanwhile, Air Marshal SBP Sinha, who headed Rafale negotiations from the Indian side, expressed dissatisfaction over the media report and claimed that "the remarks of the Defence Minister are not there". Air Marshal SBP Sinha: Note has nothing to do with Indian team's negotiation on Rafale procurement as this note wasn't initiated by Indian negotiating team. It has been initiated by SK Sharma, who was not part of Indian negotiation team. On whose behest he initiated this note? https://t.co/ufx5q2xGOK — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2019 × "It was very surprising for me to know that in the article printed today a note within MoD has been used to malign this procurement by concealing facts, the remarks of the Defence Minister are not there," Sinha told news agency ANI. "The note has nothing to do with Indian team's negotiation on Rafale procurement as this note wasn't initiated by Indian negotiating team. It has been initiated by SK Sharma, who was not part of Indian negotiation team. On whose behest he initiated this note?" Sinha added. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused PM Modi of robbing the Indian Air Force of more than four billion dollars. Gandhi cited a newspaper report that alleged that the Prime Minister's Office held parallel negotiations with France, which the defence ministry had objected to. The Congress-led Opposition had disrupted the lower house of Parliament after a report claimed the then defence secretary had objected to the PMO allegedly conducting price negotiations with the French company. Sitharaman said the Opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests and not working in the interests of the Indian Air Force. India's upper house of Parliament the Rajya Sabha was also disrupted after Congress sought to raise the Rafale issue.

'Over reaction... nothing to worry,' said Manohar Parrikar on defence ministry's dissent note on Rafale deal

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/feel-let-down-that-you-have-used-this-visit-for-your-petty-political-gains-manohar-parrikar-responds-to-rahul-gandhis-accusations-193906">Lok Sabha today that the Opposition</a> was "flogging a dead horse" over the Rafale deal after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was directly involved in conducting negotiations with the French side on the Rafale deal.

Ex-defence secretary G Mohan Kumar who at the time handled negotiations on Rafale, told newswire ANI that whatever has been brought out by media reports had nothing to do with the pricing issue.

"It was about sovereign guarantees and general terms and conditions," G Mohan Kumar said.

Sitharaman in a statement in the Lok Sabha said: "They are flogging a dead horse. Periodical enquiries by the PMO cannot be construed as interference."

The Congress-led Opposition had disrupted the lower house of Parliament after a report claimed the then defence secretary had objected to the PMO allegedly conducting price negotiations with the French company.

Sitharaman said the Opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests and not working in the interests of the Indian Air Force.

Sitharaman said ex-defence minister Manohar Parrikar had replied to the letter asking the official to remain "calm" as everything was "alright".

India's defence minister alleged that the then chairperson of the National Advisory Council Sonia Gandhi used to run the PMO regularly during the UPA regime.

"Was that not interference?," she asked.

India's upper house of Parliament the Rajya Sabha was also disrupted after Congress sought to raise the Rafale issue.&nbsp;

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue but chairman M Venkaiah Naidu disallowed the Congress leader asserting that&nbsp;he had reserved the&nbsp;final judgement on the notice by Congress members under Rule 267 on the issue.

Rule 267 provides for setting aside the business of the day to discuss the issue being raised.

Vice-president Naidu adjourned the proceedings till Monday after continued Opposition protests. 
&nbsp;

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha today that the Opposition was "flogging a dead horse" over the Rafale deal after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was directly involved in conducting negotiations with the French side on the Rafale deal.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha today that the Opposition was "flogging a dead horse" over the Rafale deal after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was directly involved in conducting negotiations with the French side on the Rafale deal. Ex-defence secretary G Mohan Kumar who at the time handled negotiations on Rafale, told newswire ANI that whatever has been brought out by media reports had nothing to do with the pricing issue. "It was about sovereign guarantees and general terms and conditions," G Mohan Kumar said. Sitharaman in a statement in the Lok Sabha said: "They are flogging a dead horse. Periodical enquiries by the PMO cannot be construed as interference." The Congress-led Opposition had disrupted the lower house of Parliament after a report claimed the then defence secretary had objected to the PMO allegedly conducting price negotiations with the French company. Sitharaman said the Opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests and not working in the interests of the Indian Air Force. Sitharaman said ex-defence minister Manohar Parrikar had replied to the letter asking the official to remain "calm" as everything was "alright". India's defence minister alleged that the then chairperson of the National Advisory Council Sonia Gandhi used to run the PMO regularly during the UPA regime. "Was that not interference?," she asked. India's upper house of Parliament the Rajya Sabha was also disrupted after Congress sought to raise the Rafale issue. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue but chairman M Venkaiah Naidu disallowed the Congress leader asserting that he had reserved the final judgement on the notice by Congress members under Rule 267 on the issue. Rule 267 provides for setting aside the business of the day to discuss the issue being raised. Vice-president Naidu adjourned the proceedings till Monday after continued Opposition protests.

Opposition flogging a dead horse, says Sitharaman after uproar in Parliament over Rafale

Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged."

During her address at an event here, Sitharaman said ever since the Modi government came to power, there was a conscious effort to keep middlemen at bay from the corridors of the Defence Ministry.

"I want every strand of this debate to be explained, as much as it can be, without any of us playing into the hands of international corporate warfare. None of us should play party to any corporate warfare.

"We cannot become pawns in the hands of the corporate giants to constantly bully the government, to constantly throw misinformation at the public, to misinform the public," she said.

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Nirmala Sitharaman: If their intention is to sabotage even this procurement (Rafale), to stop the purchase even now, that's the icing on the cake as regards disservice to the nation. Icing on the cake is a wrong expression but just the cruel last hit towards serving this nation. <a href="https://t.co/I9MCNptrrJ">pic.twitter.com/I9MCNptrrJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1086648776893386752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Her attack on the opposition parties comes a day after a newspaper report claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale jets, instead of 126 as negotiated by the previous UPA government, was taken while bypassing mandated procedures, pushing the price of each aircraft by 41.42 per cent. The Congress has launched a fresh salvo at the government on the Rafale deal citing this report.

Sitharaman was addressing a seminar on 'India's Strategic Interest in Context of the Rafale Deal'. She accused the opposition of doing a "disservice" to the nation by misinforming the public on the fighter jet deal.

"You (opposition) are misinforming the public and doing disservice to the country if you are becoming pawns in corporate rivalry. Is India's interest at the top of your agenda or are you becoming a partner to some kind of corporate rivalry," she asked.

"Is your intention to sabotage this procurement? If the intention is to stop the purchase, (then) that's disservice to the nation," she said.

Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged.

Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged." During her address at an event here, Sitharaman said ever since the Modi government came to power, there was a conscious effort to keep middlemen at bay from the corridors of the Defence Ministry. "I want every strand of this debate to be explained, as much as it can be, without any of us playing into the hands of international corporate warfare. None of us should play party to any corporate warfare. "We cannot become pawns in the hands of the corporate giants to constantly bully the government, to constantly throw misinformation at the public, to misinform the public," she said. Nirmala Sitharaman: If their intention is to sabotage even this procurement (Rafale), to stop the purchase even now, that's the icing on the cake as regards disservice to the nation. Icing on the cake is a wrong expression but just the cruel last hit towards serving this nation. pic.twitter.com/I9MCNptrrJ — ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2019 × Her attack on the opposition parties comes a day after a newspaper report claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale jets, instead of 126 as negotiated by the previous UPA government, was taken while bypassing mandated procedures, pushing the price of each aircraft by 41.42 per cent. The Congress has launched a fresh salvo at the government on the Rafale deal citing this report. Sitharaman was addressing a seminar on 'India's Strategic Interest in Context of the Rafale Deal'. She accused the opposition of doing a "disservice" to the nation by misinforming the public on the fighter jet deal. "You (opposition) are misinforming the public and doing disservice to the country if you are becoming pawns in corporate rivalry. Is India's interest at the top of your agenda or are you becoming a partner to some kind of corporate rivalry," she asked. "Is your intention to sabotage this procurement? If the intention is to stop the purchase, (then) that's disservice to the nation," she said.

Rafale deal: Sitharaman asks whether opposition being used in game of corporate rivalry

Finance Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaitley-hints-interim-budget-could-be-bigger-than-vote-on-account-191153">Arun Jaitley on Friday</a> dismissed a news report of price escalation in the Rafale deal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said it was based on "fudged arithmetic".

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Jaitley asserted that the Supreme Court has examined the prices of the fighter aircraft and that the CAG too is examining the same.

"The new article on Rafale is based on fudged arithmetic - ignore the escalation of the 2007 non-deal offer and compare it with the 2016 price and invent a scam," he tweeted.

"The Supreme Court has examined the prices. The CAG is examining the same. The fudged arithmetic of a compulsive contrarian can hardly be objective. Fudged arithmetics does not add to the credibility of its creator, " he added.

The Defence Ministry also dismissed media reports suggesting that advancements sought by the union government shot the price of a Rafale planes by 41 per cent as "factually inaccurate".

"The article is factually inaccurate. It does not adduce any new arguments. All the issues have been answered in detail by the Government at various fora and most recently by the Raksha Mantri in an open debate in the Parliament," a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the India Specific Enhancements (ISE) were part of the requirements of the Indian Air Force to achieve tactical superiority over our adversaries.

The Central government signed a deal for 36 Rafale combat aircraft in September 2016 for over Rs 60,000 crore.

The government has stated in Parliament that the procurement was done to meet the emergency requirement of the Indian Air Force as the number of combat aircraft squadrons is dwindling.&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dismissed a news report of price escalation in the Rafale deal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said it was based on "fudged arithmetic".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dismissed a news report of price escalation in the Rafale deal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said it was based on "fudged arithmetic". Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Jaitley asserted that the Supreme Court has examined the prices of the fighter aircraft and that the CAG too is examining the same. "The new article on Rafale is based on fudged arithmetic - ignore the escalation of the 2007 non-deal offer and compare it with the 2016 price and invent a scam," he tweeted. "The Supreme Court has examined the prices. The CAG is examining the same. The fudged arithmetic of a compulsive contrarian can hardly be objective. Fudged arithmetics does not add to the credibility of its creator, " he added. The Defence Ministry also dismissed media reports suggesting that advancements sought by the union government shot the price of a Rafale planes by 41 per cent as "factually inaccurate". "The article is factually inaccurate. It does not adduce any new arguments. All the issues have been answered in detail by the Government at various fora and most recently by the Raksha Mantri in an open debate in the Parliament," a Defence Ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the India Specific Enhancements (ISE) were part of the requirements of the Indian Air Force to achieve tactical superiority over our adversaries. The Central government signed a deal for 36 Rafale combat aircraft in September 2016 for over Rs 60,000 crore. The government has stated in Parliament that the procurement was done to meet the emergency requirement of the Indian Air Force as the number of combat aircraft squadrons is dwindling.

It is based on fudged arithmetic: Jaitley dismisses report of Rafale price escalation

Former air force chief, (Retd) Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha on Wednesday termed the controversy over Rafale deal as ‘unfortunate’. &nbsp;

“This is unfortunate. If you have any issues, sort it out separately, do not stop the deal which is absolutely essential for us to build our military capability,” said Raha indirectly hitting out at the opposition parties.&nbsp;

Raha pointed out that the defence procurement process in the country is too long and they must be revamped to increase our aerospace power capability.&nbsp;

“This is the problem of our country that our procurement process is too long. These process needs to be revamped,” Raha said while speaking at the sidelines of a panel discussion organised by the Bengal Chamber Commerce &amp; Industry and CENERS-K: Cyber Terrorism &amp; The Economy: A Gathering Storm.

This apart, he highlighted that in the recent times, some aircraft have become obsolete and some have been phased out and there is an immediate need to add more fighters to the fleet to increase the military capability.&nbsp;

“Air warfare is a very important component, even if you have an entire Army, Navy standing, but if you do not have aerospace power you cannot win a conflict. Indian Air Force’s strength is coming down, aircraft are getting obsolete, we retire some of these aircraft and some have to be replaced,” he said.

However, he claimed that Rafale is just one component that is replacing the obsolete aircraft. He hinted that the acquisition of Rafale jets though was a good move, 36 aircraft were not enough to increase its combat capabilities over India’s adversaries.

“Rafale is one component of the capability and specific to the Airforce. Rafale is just one replacement, but it is not in sufficient quantity, we require much more.&nbsp;

Overall, we need to build capabilities in the spheres like helicopters, transport aircraft, submarines and entire spectrum,” said Raha.&nbsp;

In 2018, Raha said that the controversy over Rafale deal was lowering nation’s esteem. &nbsp;

Former air force chief, (Retd) Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha on Wednesday termed the controversy over Rafale deal as ‘unfortunate’. “This is unfortunate. If you have any issues, sort it out separately, do not stop the deal which is absolutely essential for us to build our military capability,” said Raha indirectly hitting out at the opposition parties.

Former air force chief, (Retd) Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha on Wednesday termed the controversy over Rafale deal as ‘unfortunate’. “This is unfortunate. If you have any issues, sort it out separately, do not stop the deal which is absolutely essential for us to build our military capability,” said Raha indirectly hitting out at the opposition parties. Raha pointed out that the defence procurement process in the country is too long and they must be revamped to increase our aerospace power capability. “This is the problem of our country that our procurement process is too long. These process needs to be revamped,” Raha said while speaking at the sidelines of a panel discussion organised by the Bengal Chamber Commerce & Industry and CENERS-K: Cyber Terrorism & The Economy: A Gathering Storm. This apart, he highlighted that in the recent times, some aircraft have become obsolete and some have been phased out and there is an immediate need to add more fighters to the fleet to increase the military capability. “Air warfare is a very important component, even if you have an entire Army, Navy standing, but if you do not have aerospace power you cannot win a conflict. Indian Air Force’s strength is coming down, aircraft are getting obsolete, we retire some of these aircraft and some have to be replaced,” he said. However, he claimed that Rafale is just one component that is replacing the obsolete aircraft. He hinted that the acquisition of Rafale jets though was a good move, 36 aircraft were not enough to increase its combat capabilities over India’s adversaries. “Rafale is one component of the capability and specific to the Airforce. Rafale is just one replacement, but it is not in sufficient quantity, we require much more. Overall, we need to build capabilities in the spheres like helicopters, transport aircraft, submarines and entire spectrum,” said Raha. In 2018, Raha said that the controversy over Rafale deal was lowering nation’s esteem.

Controversy over Rafale deal ‘unfortunate’: Former air force chief 

The Comptroller and Auditor General has refused to disclose details about its audit in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/supreme-court-verdicts-on-sabarimala-and-rafale-are-blessings-for-bjp-189362">the controversial Rafale aircraft deal</a>, saying the process is not yet complete and any disclosure at this stage will amount to a breach of the Parliament's privilege, an RTI reply said.

In its response to Pune-based activist Vihar Durve who had sought the report from CAG, the country's auditor said, "The audit is under progress and the report is yet to be finalised. The information cannot be given under Section 8(1)(C) of the RTI Act as the disclosure would cause breach of Parliament".&nbsp;

Section 8(1)(C) of the Right To Information (RTI) Act exempts information the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature.

Last month, the Supreme Court had dismissed pleas challenging the deal between India and France for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-pm-modi-launches-stinging-counter-attack-questions-middleman-michels-role-189459"> procurement of 36 Rafale jets</a>, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

It rejected the pleas seeking lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).

"The pricing details have, however, been shared with the Comptroller and&nbsp;Auditor General (CAG), and the report of the CAG has been examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Only a redacted portion of the report was placed before the Parliament and is in public domain," the bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had said, relying on the sealed note submitted by the government.

After the Congress raised the issue that no such CAG report had been placed before the PAC, the government approached the court seeking changes in the judgment.

In the application, the Centre said the two sentences in paragraph 25 of the judgement appeared to have been based on the note submitted by it along with the pricing details in a sealed cover but indicated the words used by the court lent a different meaning.&nbsp;

The Centre made it clear that it did not say that the CAG report was examined by PAC or a redacted portion was placed before Parliament. It clarified that the note had said the government "has already shared" the price details with the CAG, which was written in past tense and "is factually correct".&nbsp;

However, where it was stated by the Centre in the note that the report of the CAG "is" examined by the PAC, was a description of the procedure which is followed in the normal course, but in the judgement, 'is' was replaced with the words 'has been', according to the application.&nbsp;

In its response to the RTI application filed by Durve, the CAG also refused to share its correspondence related to the audit of Rafale deal with any government department or political party, claiming that such records were "confidential and held in fiduciary capacity" hence, exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act.&nbsp;

The CAG added that audit in the Indian Air Force is done by designated principal audit officer of the force and the reports are submitted to the national auditor for approval.&nbsp;

The country's auditor said, 'The information cannot be given under Section 8(1)(C) of the RTI Act as the disclosure would cause breach of Parliament.'

The Comptroller and Auditor General has refused to disclose details about its audit in the controversial Rafale aircraft deal, saying the process is not yet complete and any disclosure at this stage will amount to a breach of the Parliament's privilege, an RTI reply said. In its response to Pune-based activist Vihar Durve who had sought the report from CAG, the country's auditor said, "The audit is under progress and the report is yet to be finalised. The information cannot be given under Section 8(1)(C) of the RTI Act as the disclosure would cause breach of Parliament". Section 8(1)(C) of the Right To Information (RTI) Act exempts information the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature. Last month, the Supreme Court had dismissed pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract. It rejected the pleas seeking lodging of an FIR and a court-monitored probe alleging irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal, in which both the countries have entered into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA). "The pricing details have, however, been shared with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and the report of the CAG has been examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Only a redacted portion of the report was placed before the Parliament and is in public domain," the bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had said, relying on the sealed note submitted by the government. After the Congress raised the issue that no such CAG report had been placed before the PAC, the government approached the court seeking changes in the judgment. In the application, the Centre said the two sentences in paragraph 25 of the judgement appeared to have been based on the note submitted by it along with the pricing details in a sealed cover but indicated the words used by the court lent a different meaning. The Centre made it clear that it did not say that the CAG report was examined by PAC or a redacted portion was placed before Parliament. It clarified that the note had said the government "has already shared" the price details with the CAG, which was written in past tense and "is factually correct". However, where it was stated by the Centre in the note that the report of the CAG "is" examined by the PAC, was a description of the procedure which is followed in the normal course, but in the judgement, 'is' was replaced with the words 'has been', according to the application. In its response to the RTI application filed by Durve, the CAG also refused to share its correspondence related to the audit of Rafale deal with any government department or political party, claiming that such records were "confidential and held in fiduciary capacity" hence, exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act. The CAG added that audit in the Indian Air Force is done by designated principal audit officer of the force and the reports are submitted to the national auditor for approval.

CAG refuses to share Rafale audit; cites breach of Parliament

A Special CBI Court on Monday allowed alleged AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel to speak with his family and lawyers for 15-minutes in a week.&nbsp;

On January 11, the Indian government granted British officials the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/agustawestland-vvip-chopper-case-christian-michel-received-money-from-other-defence-deals-as-well-enforcement-directorate-tells-court-188422">consular access to meet Christian Michel</a>.&nbsp;

The High Commission said that its staff have visited Michel to check his welfare.

"Our staff are supporting a British man who is detained in India, and have visited him to check his welfare,” British High Commission in India said.

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Alleged <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AgustaWestland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AgustaWestland</a> middleman Christian Michel has been granted 15- minute time in a week to speak to his family and lawyers by a special CBI Court. (File pic) <a href="https://t.co/063fDa7m0j">pic.twitter.com/063fDa7m0j</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1084751092368502784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, ED counsel told Delhi's Patiala court that Michel had spoken about the "son of the Italian lady" &nbsp;and how he is going to become the “next prime minister of the country.''&nbsp;

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4.&nbsp;

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A Special CBI Court on Monday allowed alleged AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel to speak with his family and lawyers for 15-minutes in a week. On January 11, the Indian government granted British officials the consular access to meet Christian Michel.

A Special CBI Court on Monday allowed alleged AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel to speak with his family and lawyers for 15-minutes in a week. On January 11, the Indian government granted British officials the consular access to meet Christian Michel. The High Commission said that its staff have visited Michel to check his welfare. "Our staff are supporting a British man who is detained in India, and have visited him to check his welfare,” British High Commission in India said. Alleged #AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel has been granted 15- minute time in a week to speak to his family and lawyers by a special CBI Court. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/063fDa7m0j — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2019 × Earlier, ED counsel told Delhi's Patiala court that Michel had spoken about the "son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the “next prime minister of the country.'' Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland, news agency PTI reported. The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. (With inputs from agencies)

AgustaWestland case: Christian Michel gets 15 minutes a week to speak to family, lawyers

In a stinging counter-attack on the Rafale issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday accused the Congress of stalling defence procurement if there was “no deal” for it. He also said the alleged middleman Christian Michel was close to the Congress first family and the people deserved to know the role played by him in the 10-year delay over the Rafale deal during UPA regime. Interacting with booth level BJP workers of Tamil Nadu through video-conferencing, he said many people think that the biggest failure of Congress was mismanagement of the economy and corruption. “But they did deep damage to our armed forces. Not many know how much damage Congress culture did to our defence sector for decades.

They had made the defence sector a den of Bofors and brokers and middlemen. “In their government, procurement would only happen if there was a deal. If there was no deal their approach was to simply stop buying anything for the armed forces,” Modi said in response to a question. Recalling Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement during the debate in Lok Sabha over the Rafale issue, Modi said when India’s neighbours were strengthening their forces with fourth and fifth generation fighters, the then Congress government stalled defence procurement. Recently, between 2004-15, one of India’s neighbours added 400 aircraft while another doubled the air force fleet strength with many of these being fourth and fifth generation fighters, he said.

“What was the Congress government doing at that time? It stalled Defence procurement for want of its deal while our neighbours increased capacity. Congress actually decreased ours. Such huge damage to the defence forces, all for the sake of a deal,” Modi alleged. Referring to negotiations to purchase 126 Rafale fighter jets during the UPA regime, Modi claimed Michel, being probed over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, had access to inside information like the timing of a cabinet meet on security and a government file on a related matter.

“Do you know who this middleman is close to? This middleman is close to the current first family of the Congress.” The reported revelations by the middleman raise several questions and people had a right to know what role did Michel “play in delaying the procurement of Rafale for 10 long years… in putting national security in danger,” he said. “The people of the country deserve to know how did middleman Michel know about the time of a meeting of the Cabinet (committee) on security…,” he said. Similarly, people should know how Michel knew about the status of a government file and how he “managed” the leadership of a party to get the deal. The prime minister’s offensive comes amid the escalating attack by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who has been posing a series of questions to Modi over the Rafale deal for purchase of 36 fighter jets from the French manufacturer.

Modi said he knew that there would be relentless attacks against him and his reputation as he as he had stopped so many people’s “corrupt businesses,” asserting that he would happily “take all the mud” thrown at him if he can strengthen the hands of soldiers. He asked if it was not the duty of the government to aid the soldiers by providing them with weapons and equipment. “…These are extremely powerful people… they have their people everywhere. That is why you see such attacks against us today. But when it comes to national security, I always say India first,” Modi said. “I will take all the mud thrown at me happily if I can strengthen the hands of the soldiers. When a government is clean and not waiting for a deal to seal a defence procurement, things will move faster. I hope this answers your question,” he added.

In a stinging counter-attack on the Rafale issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday accused the Congress of stalling defence procurement if there was “no deal” for it.

In a stinging counter-attack on the Rafale issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday accused the Congress of stalling defence procurement if there was “no deal” for it. He also said the alleged middleman Christian Michel was close to the Congress first family and the people deserved to know the role played by him in the 10-year delay over the Rafale deal during UPA regime. Interacting with booth level BJP workers of Tamil Nadu through video-conferencing, he said many people think that the biggest failure of Congress was mismanagement of the economy and corruption. “But they did deep damage to our armed forces. Not many know how much damage Congress culture did to our defence sector for decades. They had made the defence sector a den of Bofors and brokers and middlemen. “In their government, procurement would only happen if there was a deal. If there was no deal their approach was to simply stop buying anything for the armed forces,” Modi said in response to a question. Recalling Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement during the debate in Lok Sabha over the Rafale issue, Modi said when India’s neighbours were strengthening their forces with fourth and fifth generation fighters, the then Congress government stalled defence procurement. Recently, between 2004-15, one of India’s neighbours added 400 aircraft while another doubled the air force fleet strength with many of these being fourth and fifth generation fighters, he said. “What was the Congress government doing at that time? It stalled Defence procurement for want of its deal while our neighbours increased capacity. Congress actually decreased ours. Such huge damage to the defence forces, all for the sake of a deal,” Modi alleged. Referring to negotiations to purchase 126 Rafale fighter jets during the UPA regime, Modi claimed Michel, being probed over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, had access to inside information like the timing of a cabinet meet on security and a government file on a related matter. “Do you know who this middleman is close to? This middleman is close to the current first family of the Congress.” The reported revelations by the middleman raise several questions and people had a right to know what role did Michel “play in delaying the procurement of Rafale for 10 long years… in putting national security in danger,” he said. “The people of the country deserve to know how did middleman Michel know about the time of a meeting of the Cabinet (committee) on security…,” he said. Similarly, people should know how Michel knew about the status of a government file and how he “managed” the leadership of a party to get the deal. The prime minister’s offensive comes amid the escalating attack by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who has been posing a series of questions to Modi over the Rafale deal for purchase of 36 fighter jets from the French manufacturer. Modi said he knew that there would be relentless attacks against him and his reputation as he as he had stopped so many people’s “corrupt businesses,” asserting that he would happily “take all the mud” thrown at him if he can strengthen the hands of soldiers. He asked if it was not the duty of the government to aid the soldiers by providing them with weapons and equipment. “…These are extremely powerful people… they have their people everywhere. That is why you see such attacks against us today. But when it comes to national security, I always say India first,” Modi said. “I will take all the mud thrown at me happily if I can strengthen the hands of the soldiers. When a government is clean and not waiting for a deal to seal a defence procurement, things will move faster. I hope this answers your question,” he added.

Rafale deal: PM Modi launches stinging counter-attack, questions middleman Michel’s role

On the face of it, two recent Supreme Court judgements of significance have gone opposite ways for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi certainly gave something that looked like a clean chit for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party when he observed that he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of the pricing of the Rafale fighter jet contract with France's Dassault group, much to the dismay of opposition parties.&nbsp;

In the same court, Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud seemed to strike a blow to conservative Hindu lobbies that support the BJP when he and his fellow judges ruled that women of reproductive age should no longer be barred from entering the holy shrine to Lord Ayyappan at Sabarimala in Kerala.

However, after seeing violent protests in Kerala last week following the surreptitious entry of some activist women into the Sabarimala temple, I am tempted to think that both the Supreme Court judgements are blessings for the BJP. Here's why.

The Rafale ruling - I hesitate to call it a judgement - took the winds off the sails of the Congress-led opposition in what I would call the urban middle-class constituency. For any party to govern, it is not just enough to win elections. It is also important to get a measure of legitimacy in the urban middle class because it serves as a centre from which thoughts emanate and go back. This is the same social class that produces civil servants, media persons and jurists.

I do believe Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress lost the 1989 elections because he alienated the urban middle class as the BJP and other parties including the Janata Dal led by former Congress finance minister VP Singh successfully drove home the image that the party was lax on corruption and could even be a party to it.

As Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thundered last week in Parliament in a spirited defence of the Rafale deal, the backing she got from the Supreme Court was such that at the very least, the furore against the BJP's decision to cut down the number of jets and pay a higher price for each in order to fit them with advanced combat capabilities was blunted.

Cut now to Sabarimala in Kerala. You need to look no further than Shashi Tharoor, a poster boy for Westernised, modern urban liberals. Tharoor's position on the temple tilts to the centre at the very least as he cluck-clucks in sympathy with those who want a traditional form of worship that barred women of reproductive age from entering the shrine upheld. The reasons he cited are based on faith, not the kind of egalitarianism that he otherwise espouses. The former UN under-secretary-general is now a grassroots politician for the Congress in Thiruvananthapuram and also recently authored a book, 'Why I Am A Hindu'.

It is clear to me, as it is to him and many Congress leaders, that it is important to stress that they are not anti-Hindu. The BJP has successfully built a narrative of Hinduism being challenged both politically and judicially. Whether its critics like it or not, both Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu have entered the era of what I call post-poverty politics. Cultural issues are increasingly important. The Sabarimala shrine is also popular among Tamilians, &nbsp;thousands of whom make the annual pilgrimage to the mountain temple of Lord Ayyappan across the border. I do believe both Kerala and Tamil Nadu now have a larger Hindutva constituency and the BJP is a political gainer from the Sabarimala protests. In that sense, the Supreme Court verdict is a left-handed (no pun intended) compliment to the BJP's ideological moorings.

The BJP has had no significant presence in either Tamil Nadu or Kerala and has a long way to go in both states. However, the rise of Hindu customs and beliefs has been steady in Tamil Nadu, slowly eclipsing the rationalist, atheist Dravida ideology championed by 'Periyar' EV Ramaswamy Naicker, whose Dravida Kazhagam gave rise to the DMK and the AIADMK.

AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa wore her Hindu beliefs on her sleeves as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister. Tamil Nadu is gossiping about the recent visit to Varanasi by Durga Stalin, the wife of MK Stalin, the president of the DMK. Stalin has been named after one of the world's biggest communist icons. Interesting, isn't it?

At another level, the BJP is more or less in bed with a number of AIADMK functionaries or groups. We have to watch that space as general elections draw near. My guess is that the BJP has found itself a beachhead in Tamil Nadu, something it could barely dream of two decades ago.

Interestingly, the last word is not yet out on both the Supreme Court rulings as both cases have review petitions pending before the highest court of the land. For all we know, there could be twists in the tale. But I do believe the advantage now rests with the BJP. There is a delicious irony in this because Modi's party appears to be gaining in the south, where it was once considered non-existent, while its position is not as secure in the north as it was thought to be. But then, that is another story.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/supreme-court-verdicts-on-sabarimala-and-rafale-are-blessings-for-bjps-political-agenda-2169283.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

On the face of it, two recent Supreme Court judgements of significance have gone opposite ways for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi certainly gave something that looked like a clean chit for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party when he observed that he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of the pricing of the Rafale fighter jet contract with France's Dassault group, much to the dismay of opposition parties.

On the face of it, two recent Supreme Court judgements of significance have gone opposite ways for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi certainly gave something that looked like a clean chit for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party when he observed that he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of the pricing of the Rafale fighter jet contract with France's Dassault group, much to the dismay of opposition parties. In the same court, Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud seemed to strike a blow to conservative Hindu lobbies that support the BJP when he and his fellow judges ruled that women of reproductive age should no longer be barred from entering the holy shrine to Lord Ayyappan at Sabarimala in Kerala. However, after seeing violent protests in Kerala last week following the surreptitious entry of some activist women into the Sabarimala temple, I am tempted to think that both the Supreme Court judgements are blessings for the BJP. Here's why. The Rafale ruling - I hesitate to call it a judgement - took the winds off the sails of the Congress-led opposition in what I would call the urban middle-class constituency. For any party to govern, it is not just enough to win elections. It is also important to get a measure of legitimacy in the urban middle class because it serves as a centre from which thoughts emanate and go back. This is the same social class that produces civil servants, media persons and jurists. I do believe Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress lost the 1989 elections because he alienated the urban middle class as the BJP and other parties including the Janata Dal led by former Congress finance minister VP Singh successfully drove home the image that the party was lax on corruption and could even be a party to it. As Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thundered last week in Parliament in a spirited defence of the Rafale deal, the backing she got from the Supreme Court was such that at the very least, the furore against the BJP's decision to cut down the number of jets and pay a higher price for each in order to fit them with advanced combat capabilities was blunted. Cut now to Sabarimala in Kerala. You need to look no further than Shashi Tharoor, a poster boy for Westernised, modern urban liberals. Tharoor's position on the temple tilts to the centre at the very least as he cluck-clucks in sympathy with those who want a traditional form of worship that barred women of reproductive age from entering the shrine upheld. The reasons he cited are based on faith, not the kind of egalitarianism that he otherwise espouses. The former UN under-secretary-general is now a grassroots politician for the Congress in Thiruvananthapuram and also recently authored a book, 'Why I Am A Hindu'. It is clear to me, as it is to him and many Congress leaders, that it is important to stress that they are not anti-Hindu. The BJP has successfully built a narrative of Hinduism being challenged both politically and judicially. Whether its critics like it or not, both Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu have entered the era of what I call post-poverty politics. Cultural issues are increasingly important. The Sabarimala shrine is also popular among Tamilians, thousands of whom make the annual pilgrimage to the mountain temple of Lord Ayyappan across the border. I do believe both Kerala and Tamil Nadu now have a larger Hindutva constituency and the BJP is a political gainer from the Sabarimala protests. In that sense, the Supreme Court verdict is a left-handed (no pun intended) compliment to the BJP's ideological moorings. The BJP has had no significant presence in either Tamil Nadu or Kerala and has a long way to go in both states. However, the rise of Hindu customs and beliefs has been steady in Tamil Nadu, slowly eclipsing the rationalist, atheist Dravida ideology championed by 'Periyar' EV Ramaswamy Naicker, whose Dravida Kazhagam gave rise to the DMK and the AIADMK. AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa wore her Hindu beliefs on her sleeves as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister. Tamil Nadu is gossiping about the recent visit to Varanasi by Durga Stalin, the wife of MK Stalin, the president of the DMK. Stalin has been named after one of the world's biggest communist icons. Interesting, isn't it? At another level, the BJP is more or less in bed with a number of AIADMK functionaries or groups. We have to watch that space as general elections draw near. My guess is that the BJP has found itself a beachhead in Tamil Nadu, something it could barely dream of two decades ago. Interestingly, the last word is not yet out on both the Supreme Court rulings as both cases have review petitions pending before the highest court of the land. For all we know, there could be twists in the tale. But I do believe the advantage now rests with the BJP. There is a delicious irony in this because Modi's party appears to be gaining in the south, where it was once considered non-existent, while its position is not as secure in the north as it was thought to be. But then, that is another story. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Supreme Court verdicts on Sabarimala and Rafale are blessings for BJP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday indicated that alleged middleman Christian Michel, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/agustawestland-vvip-chopper-case-christian-michel-received-money-from-other-defence-deals-as-well-enforcement-directorate-tells-court-188422">arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case</a>, was lobbying for French manufacturer Rafale's rivals in the multi-role aircraft deal.

The onus is on the Congress to come clean on what is driving its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-nirmala-sitharaman-hits-back-at-congress-president-says-rahul-gandhi-misleading-nation-188560">allegations on the (Rafale) deal</a>, Modi said at a rally here.

Citing media reports, Modi said Michel was lobbying for "some other contender" as well.

Congress should answer which leader of their party, now shouting about this (Rafale deal), has a connection with Michel, he said.

Modi said the 'chowkidar' (watchdog), who has embarked on a campaign to root-out corruption cannot be bought or scared and will continue with his work relentlessly.

The 'chowkidar' can pick a wrongdoer even in darkness, he said.&nbsp;

The onus is on the Congress to come clean on what is driving its allegations on the (Rafale) deal, Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday indicated that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, was lobbying for French manufacturer Rafale's rivals in the multi-role aircraft deal. The onus is on the Congress to come clean on what is driving its allegations on the (Rafale) deal, Modi said at a rally here. Citing media reports, Modi said Michel was lobbying for "some other contender" as well. Congress should answer which leader of their party, now shouting about this (Rafale deal), has a connection with Michel, he said. Modi said the 'chowkidar' (watchdog), who has embarked on a campaign to root-out corruption cannot be bought or scared and will continue with his work relentlessly. The 'chowkidar' can pick a wrongdoer even in darkness, he said.

Michel was lobbying for Rafale rival; Congress should clarify: PM Modi

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sunday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi after he accused her of lying in Parliament about procurement orders worth Rs 1 lakh crore for state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).&nbsp;

In her counteroffensive, Sitharaman said it was a matter of “shame” that the Congress president was misleading the country on the issue. She also tweeted details of the contract awarded to HAL since 2014 when the BJP came to power.

“It’s a shame that the president of @INCIndia is misleading the nation. HAL has signed contracts worth Rs 26570.8 Cr (Between 2014 and 2018) and contracts worth Rs 73000 Cr are in the pipeline. Will @RahulGandhi apologise to the country from the floor of the house?” the defence minister tweeted.

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It's a shame that the president of <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> is misleading the nation. 
 
HAL has signed contracts worth Rs 26570.8 Cr (Between 2014 and 2018) and contracts worth Rs 73000 Cr are in the pipeline. 
 
Will <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> apologise to the country from the floor of the house? <a href="https://t.co/KIQsWikByG">pic.twitter.com/KIQsWikByG</a>
— Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia/status/1081866784289026048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, Gandhi alleged that she “lied” in Parliament that government orders worth Rs one lakh crore were provided to HAL while demanding that she should either place the documents in support of her statement in the House or resign.

Gandhi’s attack came after a media report claimed that “not a single rupee of the said Rs 1 lakh crore has come to HAL, since not a single order, as claimed, has been signed till now”.

The media report cited senior HAL management officials in order to back its claim. The Congress has been targeting the government, alleging that it denied the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) an offset contract under the Rafale fighter jets deal with France, a charge the government has denied.

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When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies, to cover up the first one. 
 
In her eagerness to defend the PM's Rafale lie, the RM lied to Parliament. 
 
Tomorrow, RM must place before Parliament documents showing 1 Lakh crore of Govt orders to HAL. 
 
Or resign. <a href="https://t.co/dYafyklH9o">pic.twitter.com/dYafyklH9o</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1081828418805813248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has accused the Congress of not supporting HAL during its rule and asserted that the government is now strengthening the defence public sector undertaking.

“When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies, to cover up the first one. In her eagerness to defend the PM’s Rafale lie, the RM lied to Parliament,” Gandhi tweeted.

“Tomorrow, RM must place before Parliament documents showing 1 Lakh crore of Govt orders to HAL. Or resign,” he said.

Gandhi had on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “weakening” HAL to help his “suit-boot” friend.

His criticism followed a media report which claimed that HAL, grappling with low finances, was forced to borrow Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries to its employees for the first time in years.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted on Sunday: “The Lying Defence Minister’s Lies Get Exposed! Defence Minister claimed that procurement orders worth Rs 1 Lakh Crore provided to HAL! HAL says Not a SINGLE PAISA has come, as Not a SINGLE ORDER has been signed!”

“For the first time, HAL forced to take a loan of Rs1000 Cr to pay salaries!,” he added.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sunday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi after he accused her of lying in Parliament about procurement orders worth Rs 1 lakh crore for state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sunday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi after he accused her of lying in Parliament about procurement orders worth Rs 1 lakh crore for state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). In her counteroffensive, Sitharaman said it was a matter of “shame” that the Congress president was misleading the country on the issue. She also tweeted details of the contract awarded to HAL since 2014 when the BJP came to power. “It’s a shame that the president of @INCIndia is misleading the nation. HAL has signed contracts worth Rs 26570.8 Cr (Between 2014 and 2018) and contracts worth Rs 73000 Cr are in the pipeline. Will @RahulGandhi apologise to the country from the floor of the house?” the defence minister tweeted. It's a shame that the president of @INCIndia is misleading the nation. HAL has signed contracts worth Rs 26570.8 Cr (Between 2014 and 2018) and contracts worth Rs 73000 Cr are in the pipeline. Will @RahulGandhi apologise to the country from the floor of the house? pic.twitter.com/KIQsWikByG — Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) January 6, 2019 × Earlier, Gandhi alleged that she “lied” in Parliament that government orders worth Rs one lakh crore were provided to HAL while demanding that she should either place the documents in support of her statement in the House or resign. Gandhi’s attack came after a media report claimed that “not a single rupee of the said Rs 1 lakh crore has come to HAL, since not a single order, as claimed, has been signed till now”. The media report cited senior HAL management officials in order to back its claim. The Congress has been targeting the government, alleging that it denied the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) an offset contract under the Rafale fighter jets deal with France, a charge the government has denied. When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies, to cover up the first one. In her eagerness to defend the PM's Rafale lie, the RM lied to Parliament. Tomorrow, RM must place before Parliament documents showing 1 Lakh crore of Govt orders to HAL. Or resign. pic.twitter.com/dYafyklH9o — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 6, 2019 × The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has accused the Congress of not supporting HAL during its rule and asserted that the government is now strengthening the defence public sector undertaking. “When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies, to cover up the first one. In her eagerness to defend the PM’s Rafale lie, the RM lied to Parliament,” Gandhi tweeted. “Tomorrow, RM must place before Parliament documents showing 1 Lakh crore of Govt orders to HAL. Or resign,” he said. Gandhi had on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “weakening” HAL to help his “suit-boot” friend. His criticism followed a media report which claimed that HAL, grappling with low finances, was forced to borrow Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries to its employees for the first time in years. Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted on Sunday: “The Lying Defence Minister’s Lies Get Exposed! Defence Minister claimed that procurement orders worth Rs 1 Lakh Crore provided to HAL! HAL says Not a SINGLE PAISA has come, as Not a SINGLE ORDER has been signed!” “For the first time, HAL forced to take a loan of Rs1000 Cr to pay salaries!,” he added.

Rafale deal: Nirmala Sitharaman hits back at Rahul Gandhi after his dare, says he is 'misleading the nation'

With a view to positioning its most modern fighter jets on both the fronts, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hasimara in West Bengal.

"The first Rafale would be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September 2019 but it would be required to undergo intensive 1,500 hours of testing to validate the India Specific Enhancements on it. So, the first batch of the four Rafale fighter planes would arrive at Ambala around May 2020," senior IAF officials said.

Infrastructure for housing both the squadrons has been completed at both the bases.

In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts.

The plan to deploy one squadron of the planes at the Saraswat air base in Uttar Pradesh did not work out due to land acquisition issues.

Ambala base has been housing Jaguar aircraft squadrons mainly looking after the Pakistan front but due to rapid deployment capabilities, the planes can be utilised on both the fronts in case of requirement.

The Hasimara air base in West Bengal is close to the China border and was home to the MiG 27 fighters which are being phased out now.

Once inducted, the Rafales would be the most potent fighters of the Air Force but the mainstay would be the Su-30MKIs-272 which would be in service by the year 2021-22.

The Air Force rates the Rafale much higher than the Su-30MKIs in terms of capabilities and has been making a case for the increased number of Rafale type multirole fighters.&nbsp;

'The first Rafale would be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September 2019', said senior IAF officials.

With a view to positioning its most modern fighter jets on both the fronts, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hasimara in West Bengal. "The first Rafale would be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September 2019 but it would be required to undergo intensive 1,500 hours of testing to validate the India Specific Enhancements on it. So, the first batch of the four Rafale fighter planes would arrive at Ambala around May 2020," senior IAF officials said. Infrastructure for housing both the squadrons has been completed at both the bases. In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts. The plan to deploy one squadron of the planes at the Saraswat air base in Uttar Pradesh did not work out due to land acquisition issues. Ambala base has been housing Jaguar aircraft squadrons mainly looking after the Pakistan front but due to rapid deployment capabilities, the planes can be utilised on both the fronts in case of requirement. The Hasimara air base in West Bengal is close to the China border and was home to the MiG 27 fighters which are being phased out now. Once inducted, the Rafales would be the most potent fighters of the Air Force but the mainstay would be the Su-30MKIs-272 which would be in service by the year 2021-22. The Air Force rates the Rafale much higher than the Su-30MKIs in terms of capabilities and has been making a case for the increased number of Rafale type multirole fighters.

Indian Air Force to deploy Rafale jets in Ambala, Hasimara

Asserting that every issue raised by the Congress on Rafale deal has been clarified by the Supreme Court, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that there is no controversy in the matter, except in minds of the opposition party leaders.&nbsp;

Unsatisfied by the minister’s reply during the Question Hour, the Congress members including former prime minister Manmohan Singh staged a walkout.

Congress leader Anand Sharma in his supplementary query demanded that the government make public the minutes of the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Fracois Hollande held last year on the Rafale deal in a bid to settle the controversy once for all. To this, Swaraj said, “Anandji, there is no controversy. Controversy is there in your mind. All the controversial issues that you (Congress) raised, the Supreme Court has clarified on each of them. Please don’t use the word controversy again.”

She said, “The whole country knows there is no controversy. The Supreme Court has cleared each issue. If you still think there is a controversy, then no one can reply.” To a query raised by Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut if there was any discussion on the Rafale deal during the recent visit of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to India, Swaraj said, “There was no discussion on the matter.”

“On that day, the Supreme Court verdict (on Rafale deal) was pronounced. He (French Minister) was very happy. He expressed joy and felt there was no need to have a discussion,” she said.&nbsp;

On the Indo-French fund for developing a script for co-production of films, the Minister said the French delegation had visited Mumbai and had a discussion with representatives of Bollywood besides meeting the state chief minister.

To another query on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power project, Swaraj said that an agreement was signed on March 22, 2016, to set up a plant. France’s EDF and India’s NPCL are looking into it. “Six EPR units are to be set with each unit having a capacity of 1650 megawatt. Once it is ready, it will be the world’s largest nuclear plant,” she said. The project was reviewed in March last year when the rate of power per unit and setting up of a reference plant were also discussed. “We will proceed after seeing the model plant. We have decided about the dates,” she added.

Asserting that every issue raised by the Congress on Rafale deal has been clarified by the Supreme Court, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that there is no controversy in the matter, except in minds of the opposition party leaders.

Asserting that every issue raised by the Congress on Rafale deal has been clarified by the Supreme Court, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that there is no controversy in the matter, except in minds of the opposition party leaders. Unsatisfied by the minister’s reply during the Question Hour, the Congress members including former prime minister Manmohan Singh staged a walkout. Congress leader Anand Sharma in his supplementary query demanded that the government make public the minutes of the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Fracois Hollande held last year on the Rafale deal in a bid to settle the controversy once for all. To this, Swaraj said, “Anandji, there is no controversy. Controversy is there in your mind. All the controversial issues that you (Congress) raised, the Supreme Court has clarified on each of them. Please don’t use the word controversy again.” She said, “The whole country knows there is no controversy. The Supreme Court has cleared each issue. If you still think there is a controversy, then no one can reply.” To a query raised by Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut if there was any discussion on the Rafale deal during the recent visit of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to India, Swaraj said, “There was no discussion on the matter.” “On that day, the Supreme Court verdict (on Rafale deal) was pronounced. He (French Minister) was very happy. He expressed joy and felt there was no need to have a discussion,” she said. On the Indo-French fund for developing a script for co-production of films, the Minister said the French delegation had visited Mumbai and had a discussion with representatives of Bollywood besides meeting the state chief minister. To another query on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power project, Swaraj said that an agreement was signed on March 22, 2016, to set up a plant. France’s EDF and India’s NPCL are looking into it. “Six EPR units are to be set with each unit having a capacity of 1650 megawatt. Once it is ready, it will be the world’s largest nuclear plant,” she said. The project was reviewed in March last year when the rate of power per unit and setting up of a reference plant were also discussed. “We will proceed after seeing the model plant. We have decided about the dates,” she added.

All issues raised by Congress on Rafale deal clarified by SC, says Sushma Swaraj

Former union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, along with advocate Prashant Bhushan moved&nbsp;the Supreme Court on Wednesday for review of Rafale judgement.

Bhushan is seeking review of December 14 judgement on Rafale. Bhushan along with two other petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Shourie and Sinha are asking for recalling of Rafale judgement.

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Petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan move Supreme Court for review of Rafale judgment. <a href="https://t.co/SZk2zmwnmd">pic.twitter.com/SZk2zmwnmd</a>
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They are also asking to grant an oral hearing in the open court for their review plea.

The petition stated that the recent judgement contains several errors and also the judgement relies upon patently incorrect claims made by the Government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover to the court, which is a violation of principle of natural justice.

This petition also mentioned that several new facts have come to the light after the judgement was reserved in the matter, which needs to go to the root of the matter.

Petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan had expressed their disappointment over the December 14 judgement of the top court on Rafale fighter jet deal.

Reacting to the Rafale verdict by the apex court, the trio, who has sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the 36-aircraft Rafale deal, issued a press statement and said, "The judgment of the Supreme Court dismissing our petition seeking an independent court-monitored investigation into the Rafale deal is as shocking as it is disappointing. We had gone to court after making a detailed complaint to the CBI."The three petitioners said, "No Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale has been submitted or examined."

"Disappointed that the court has taken a conservative view of judicial review in cases of Defence deal corruption involving high functionaries. Shocked that the judgment is based on completely false information about the CAG report. No CAG report on Rafale has been submitted or examined. Shocked that court accepts Mukesh Ambani`s RIL as 'parent company'&nbsp;of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence. The scandal will continue to agitate the public mind - new disclosures are expected soon," the statement read.

In their detailed statement, they also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed an agreement for 36 Rafale jets on April 10, 2015, without any such requirement of 36 jets being given by the Airforce Headquarters and without the approval of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which are the mandated first steps for any Defence procurement.

"The Air Force had in fact been asking for at least 126 fighter jets which had been approved by the DAC, tenders had been issued, 6 companies had applied, two were shortlisted and finally Dassault was selected as the lowest tender. The tender was on the basis that 126 fighters would be procured out of which only 18 would be bought in a ready to fly condition and the remaining would be manufactured in India by HAL with the transfer of technology by HAL," it said.

"All facts were documented in the complaint to the CBI and we sought a court-monitored investigation (when the CBI did not register an FIR on our complaint which is mandatory as per law)," the petitioners had claimed.

Expressing further dismay over the apex court`s verdict on the Defence deal, the petitioners said, "The court's judgement today does not even address the documented facts stated in our petition or even deal with our main prayer seeking an investigation."

It added, "On the contrary, it proceeds on the basis that we were challenging the contract itself and uses the facts stated by the government either in the short open affidavit filed or perhaps facts claimed in the sealed cover handed only to the court which was never shared with us. In fact, some of the facts mentioned in the court judgement are not only not on record but are patently incorrect."

The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal. The fighter jet is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, which security analysts believe can be a 'game-changer'&nbsp;for India's defence system.

On December 14, the Supreme Court had dismissed all petitions seeking court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, saying that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the deal.

The top court said it was not its job to go into the issue of pricing.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, said that there is no need to conduct an investigation into details of Rafale pricing."We are satisfied that there is no occasion to doubt the process. Joint exercises have taken place and there is no element of financial benefits. Detailed scrutiny of Rafale Deal deal is not required," said CJI Gogoi.

Bhushan along with two other petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal- Shourie and Sinha are asking for recalling of Rafale judgement.

Former union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, along with advocate Prashant Bhushan moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday for review of Rafale judgement. Bhushan is seeking review of December 14 judgement on Rafale. Bhushan along with two other petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Shourie and Sinha are asking for recalling of Rafale judgement. Petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan move Supreme Court for review of Rafale judgment. pic.twitter.com/SZk2zmwnmd — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2019 × They are also asking to grant an oral hearing in the open court for their review plea. The petition stated that the recent judgement contains several errors and also the judgement relies upon patently incorrect claims made by the Government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover to the court, which is a violation of principle of natural justice. This petition also mentioned that several new facts have come to the light after the judgement was reserved in the matter, which needs to go to the root of the matter. Petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal - Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan had expressed their disappointment over the December 14 judgement of the top court on Rafale fighter jet deal. Reacting to the Rafale verdict by the apex court, the trio, who has sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the 36-aircraft Rafale deal, issued a press statement and said, "The judgment of the Supreme Court dismissing our petition seeking an independent court-monitored investigation into the Rafale deal is as shocking as it is disappointing. We had gone to court after making a detailed complaint to the CBI."The three petitioners said, "No Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Rafale has been submitted or examined." "Disappointed that the court has taken a conservative view of judicial review in cases of Defence deal corruption involving high functionaries. Shocked that the judgment is based on completely false information about the CAG report. No CAG report on Rafale has been submitted or examined. Shocked that court accepts Mukesh Ambani`s RIL as 'parent company' of Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence. The scandal will continue to agitate the public mind - new disclosures are expected soon," the statement read. In their detailed statement, they also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed an agreement for 36 Rafale jets on April 10, 2015, without any such requirement of 36 jets being given by the Airforce Headquarters and without the approval of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which are the mandated first steps for any Defence procurement. "The Air Force had in fact been asking for at least 126 fighter jets which had been approved by the DAC, tenders had been issued, 6 companies had applied, two were shortlisted and finally Dassault was selected as the lowest tender. The tender was on the basis that 126 fighters would be procured out of which only 18 would be bought in a ready to fly condition and the remaining would be manufactured in India by HAL with the transfer of technology by HAL," it said. "All facts were documented in the complaint to the CBI and we sought a court-monitored investigation (when the CBI did not register an FIR on our complaint which is mandatory as per law)," the petitioners had claimed. Expressing further dismay over the apex court`s verdict on the Defence deal, the petitioners said, "The court's judgement today does not even address the documented facts stated in our petition or even deal with our main prayer seeking an investigation." It added, "On the contrary, it proceeds on the basis that we were challenging the contract itself and uses the facts stated by the government either in the short open affidavit filed or perhaps facts claimed in the sealed cover handed only to the court which was never shared with us. In fact, some of the facts mentioned in the court judgement are not only not on record but are patently incorrect." The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal. The fighter jet is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, which security analysts believe can be a 'game-changer' for India's defence system. On December 14, the Supreme Court had dismissed all petitions seeking court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, saying that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the deal. The top court said it was not its job to go into the issue of pricing. The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, said that there is no need to conduct an investigation into details of Rafale pricing."We are satisfied that there is no occasion to doubt the process. Joint exercises have taken place and there is no element of financial benefits. Detailed scrutiny of Rafale Deal deal is not required," said CJI Gogoi.

Rafale verdict: Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Prashant Bhushan move Supreme Court for review

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2019-lok-sabha-polls-will-be-janta-versus-gathbandhan-pm-modi-187752">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Tuesday said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong.

In an exclusive interview to ANI, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/loan-waivers-do-not-benefit-majority-of-farmers-pm-modi-187761">Prime Minister Modi</a> said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces.&nbsp;

He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that country`s security is not compromised.

"Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country`s needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country`s security. I won`t leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," Mr Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal.

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When asked why he was silent on the Congress accusation of crony capitalism and alleged favouring of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Mr Modi replied, "This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom."

"In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken. ..Media should have the courage to ask (the Congress) where is the evidence for these allegations? Don't throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it)," he added.

The Prime Minister said that there should be debate in the country on why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and on need for middlemen in defence purchases.

"Why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and our forces weakened. Who is doing it? What is the reason? Also, what is the need for middlemen in the defence deals? Can`t defence deal not be done without middlemen? Had Make in India been initiated 70 years back, the malai khane wala raasta from outside would have been closed. My crime is that I am trying to Make In India. My crime is that whatever our defence forces need, that should be made in India, so that dealings outside the country end. I am trying to get technology transfer," Prime Minister said.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister sought to dispel the Congress allegation that the purchase would harm his Make in India initiative.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambani's Reliance group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied vehemently by both the Indian government and Dassault.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces. He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that country`s security is not compromised. "Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country`s needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country`s security. I won`t leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," Mr Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal. × When asked why he was silent on the Congress accusation of crony capitalism and alleged favouring of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Mr Modi replied, "This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom." "In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken. ..Media should have the courage to ask (the Congress) where is the evidence for these allegations? Don't throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it)," he added. The Prime Minister said that there should be debate in the country on why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and on need for middlemen in defence purchases. "Why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and our forces weakened. Who is doing it? What is the reason? Also, what is the need for middlemen in the defence deals? Can`t defence deal not be done without middlemen? Had Make in India been initiated 70 years back, the malai khane wala raasta from outside would have been closed. My crime is that I am trying to Make In India. My crime is that whatever our defence forces need, that should be made in India, so that dealings outside the country end. I am trying to get technology transfer," Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister sought to dispel the Congress allegation that the purchase would harm his Make in India initiative. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambani's Reliance group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied vehemently by both the Indian government and Dassault.

Those accusing me in Rafale deal are weakening Indian security forces: PM Modi

Commenting on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, on Thursday asserted that people should go by "facts and not the tweets."

Speaking to former Indian ambassador to the US Arun K Singh on WION's 'The Diplomacy Show', Ziegler, when asked about the ongoing controversy over Rafale deal, said, "Look at the track record of our 70-year-old relation, I don't think there is anything to worry about, honestly."

Here is the full transcript of the interview:

WION: Ambassador Ziegler, I recall just a few days ago you had invited me to the embassy at a very very exceptional event, honouring the participation of Indian soldiers in the First World War, fighting there on behalf of France, fighting against Germany and making a very important contribution. How has France looked at the contribution of Indian soldiers during the First World War, and then later during the Second World War?

Ziegler: Well, you know we do remember that ten thousand Indian soldiers actually died in France fighting for our freedom, fighting for our liberty. They made an exceptional contribution to the war effort. We have to honour their name; we have to honour memory- that's what the Vice President of India actually did in Paris, while inaugurating the very first Franco-Indian war memorial in north of France, but we also have to remember that we were not celebrating a victory, we were not celebrating the horrible fighting of World War I. We were celebrating peace, and peace doesn't have to be taken for granted in today's world, and this is also an opportunity to remember that we all have responsibilities in preserving peace, and that France and India do have a special responsibility in working together, so that these horrible fights of a century ago will never happen again.&nbsp;

WION: Thank you. Thank you for that. India and France do work together to support many causes around the world, attempting to promote peace. and even in the First World War as you recalled, there were more than one and a half million Indian soldiers involved and, almost seventy-five thousand lost their lives. Prime Minister Modi, when he had visited France in 2015, had gone to Neuve Chapelle, which is a special monument dedicated to Indian soldiers who had sacrificed their lives at that time. But moving from there, because this is just one reflection of the cooperation that has been there, not just recent, but over time, so moving from there, if we look at the new areas of cooperation between our two countries and some of the very-very critical areas, how have you assessed the Defence Cooperation that exists between our two countries, because Defence Cooperation always reflects a heightened level of confidence in the relationship.&nbsp;

Ziegler: No, that's true. We are celebrating this year - the 20th anniversary of our strategic partnership. France was actually the very first country with which India engaged into a strategic partnership in 1998 and it's not by chance. We've built with India over the past seven decades; a relationship that has always been based on large amount of trust, which is in today's world - a value that is probably the most important. We have always been with India in easy moments, which is easy, but also in difficult times. We've been an all-weather partner for India.&nbsp;

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WION: Can you mention in this context, when you say “one of the difficult times when France has been a partner of India?”

Ziegler: Well, 1998 for instance, nuclear testing, Kargil was also an example. So I think trust is at the very basis of our partnership, which is a very long lasting one. It's a seventy-year-old partnership actually, much longer than the 20-year-old strategic partnership.

WION: Sure, and what are the some of the specific areas of cooperation in defence?

Ziegler: We have engaged over the past decades in many Strategic Programs, Space Cooperation, and Civil Nuclear Cooperation- which are all long-term programs, which require once again, a very large amount of trust, defence equipment as well. We have been committed to ‘Make-in-India' for decades. We have manufactured with Indian partners, helicopters, missiles, many equipments.&nbsp;

WION: In Defence, I recall that France has supplied submarines and partnered with India also for the assembling of submarines in India. It has supplied aircraft to India. The Mystère, the Mirage and now the Rafale. So, very strong cooperation. Now in that framework, some of the controversies that has arisen recently regarding Rafale, does that cause you any concern?&nbsp;

Ziegler: Well, I would say, you know, very simply, look at the facts, not at the tweets. Look at the track record of our 60-year-old, 70-year-old relation in defence manufacturing and in defence procurement with India. Look at the facts, and I don't think there is anything to worry about, honestly.&nbsp;

WION: And I do recall that the Mirage aircraft had been used very successfully by India in the context of the Kargil conflict that was there, and that is acknowledged, and you referred to 1998 and I think people here do recall that when we had done the nuclear tests in 1998, France was perhaps the only permanent member of the U.N. Security Council that had shown understanding for India's compulsions and opposed any sanctions against India. So I think that's perhaps the reason why we had entered into a strategic partnership, but going from defence to space, again for India we have a very ambitious space program, and France is one of the critical partners for India, and during the recent visit of President Macron to India in March, a joint vision on space cooperation was also signed. So can you talk a little about that too?&nbsp;

Ziegler: Yes, you're right to mention it because our partnership is not only about history, it's about what do we do in the future, and we actually agreed last March (during President Macron's visit to India) on two major strategic vision documents - one of the Indian Ocean (maybe we'll come back to it later), and one on space. We have 40-year-old cooperation in space. India is actually the very first partner outside Europe for the French space industry and space research, and we wanted to give a new impetus to this field of cooperation, which will become even more strategic in the years to come.&nbsp;

WION: Well, I do recall Ambassador Ziegler, that when I had served in France as India's Ambassador to France, I had made a visit to Kourou in French Guiana for the launch of an Indian satellite, and it was quite an experience, and we have launched almost 20 satellites from there using the Arianespace vehicle, and France has launched satellites from India, and we have done two joint satellites, and I understand that there are now plans for a third joint satellite?

Ziegler: Absolutely.

WION: What will be the focus of that?&nbsp;

Ziegler: We've been working for years now on programs concerning satellites that have an active role in fighting climate change, climate monitoring, and environmental monitoring, and we are actually in the process of developing a third one, and as you rightly mentioned, we've been using our respective launchers to launch our satellites, and this is also a cooperation that is going to expand in the years to come.&nbsp;

WION: And I was happy to note in the announcement that India and France would now also be cooperating in the missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus; but moving from space to civil nuclear cooperation, again an area for longstanding and critical cooperation between India and France. India and France had signed the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between them in September 2008, before India had even signed it with the United States, yet so far concrete progress in implementation seems to have been absent. So can you talk a little about that? Why is it that we have not really made much progress in terms of actual plants or their operationalisation happening in India?

Ziegler: Well, I wouldn't agree on this. We've made quite a lot of progress. We signed last March, a very important document – ‘Industrial Way Forward Agreement’, that is actually concluding an agreement on the industrial scheme of our project of constructing six last-generation nuclear reactors, six EPR in the south of India in Jaitapur. It was the very first milestone. We are now engaged in two commercial negotiations. We've engaged also in negotiations on the financing part of it, but it's definitely moving. It's moving quite fast, and I'm very confident that we will reach an agreement.&nbsp;

WION: So now moving from the bilateral to some of the regional and global issues, as you mentioned India and France recently signed the Joint Strategic Vision for the Indian Ocean cooperation, and there is a lot of talks now about the Indo-Pacific, and France also has a presence in the Pacific region. So how is France looking at the emerging challenge that people say from the rise of China from its growing economic military potential, the militarization of islands in the South China Sea, and how does it look at its various cooperation with countries in this region including with India in this context?

Ziegler: Well, we have two million inhabitants in the Indo-Pacific. We have also military assets, military capabilities in this region, but having 2 million inhabitants in this region means that what is happening in the Indo-Pacific is also of strategic importance for us, and we are facing with India the same challenges in this region. How do we maintain the freedom of navigation? How do we fight against piracy, against terrorism coming from the sea? How do we tackle the consequences of climate change? How do we work on Blue Economy in this region? How do we preserve the resources for fishing? So all these challenges that are being faced by India, they are also our challenges, so it was pretty normal that we should engage in strong cooperation with a country like India, which actually shares the same vision of the way the Indo-Pacific should evolve in the coming years. 
&nbsp; 
WION: Another area I found Indian and French leaders emphasis is the commonality of values.&nbsp;

Ziegler: Yes.&nbsp;

WION: I also wanted to refer to the common challenges that both France and India face- the challenge of terrorism. France has been subjected to several terrorist attacks; India has faced the challenge of terrorism, cross-border terrorism. So how do you see the commonality of this challenge, and what the two countries are doing to work together here?&nbsp;

Ziegler: Well, November has been a terrible month. We were commemorating the third anniversary of the Paris attacks where one hundred thirty-one people died three years ago, and India was commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Mumbai attacks where almost 200 people died including actually French citizens. So we have to remember that we are faced with the same threat. It's a global phenomenon of course but being two democracies, being two democracies attacked by terrorists because we are democracies, because we are open societies. Of course, we have to find a common answer to it. We are sharing a lot. We are working a lot. It's actually one of the fastest-developing topics of cooperation within our strategic partnership, sharing intelligence, developing concrete cooperation between our police forces, but also working on what we can do on the Internet, what we can do on the Cyberspace to prevent the spread &nbsp;of these awful ideas, that are not only limited to places in the world where we have to fight militarily as we are doing in Iraq, as we are doing in Syria, as we are doing in the Sahel region; but which are actually entering into your bedrooms through your computers, entering to your apartment; and I think this is a major challenge, and especially a major challenge for the two democracies, and this is among all the others, one of the topics on which we have been working a lot together with India over the past months.&nbsp;

WION: That's good to hear - certainly an important area for cooperation. Another question I wanted to ask you about an area where France seems to be taking some lead, especially in Europe about dealing with the challenge posed by the new uncertainty emerging from the United States, where the US allies and others are questioning the level of US commitment, the trade and political challenges that are being posed to them and President Macron has spoken several times about Europe taking an independent posture. So, how is France looking at all that and how do you see this evolving?&nbsp;

Ziegler: Well, you know we have a tradition in our diplomacy of strategic independence, of strategic autonomy. It dates back from the 60s. It's probably one of the reasons why we get along so well with India because we definitely share this concern, so it's part of our DNA, I would say. We are also allied with the United States. We are actually the oldest allies, historically of the United States. This alliance is important to us, and it is symbolized encapsulated within NATO. We are attached to NATO, but having said that, we also believe that the EU as such, Europe has to be perceived as a sovereign continent and has to invest more in protecting its citizens, in protecting its sovereignty, so that it can be an ally to the US, but not dependent. That's the very logic of what we are proposing, and I don't see honestly any contradiction between the two aspects. So you can be sovereign and you can be allied at the same time. That's exactly what President Macron is saying, and actually, by the way, I think that's very much in line with what President Trump was saying a year ago - when he was saying Europe should take more responsibility.&nbsp;

WION: One of the challenges that France and Europe seem to be facing is in terms of its relationship with Russia, which is a very important partner also for India, and France at times has had a good relationship with Russia, but of late in the context of Crimea, Ukraine and perhaps other factors, there has been some differences in approach. Would it not make sense from France's perspective to work out an arrangement whereby Russia is working more closely with Europe, and not pushed in the direction of greater integration out of force with China? So, how does it work for France?

Ziegler: Well, of course, it does and that's exactly what we are doing. I'd say that the very DNA of the European project was based on the assumption that the territorial integrity of any European country, that the borders would never be touched anymore, that it wouldn't be an issue anymore, and that's very important for us, that's very symbolic also given the history of Europe and that's the reason why we couldn't accept what has happened in Ukraine. Having said that, I agree with you, Russia is our neighbour. We have a long historical, cultural, tradition of friendship with Russia. It is also one of the major powers in the world, and of course, we have to keep engaging with Russia, of course, we have to work with Russia. That's what we are doing actually, that's what we are doing on a daily basis, trying to solve crisis including what's happening today in Syria, and President Macron is keeping very regular contact and very deep contact with President Putin. Well, we want Russia and Europe to more proactively to solve the original crisis and the challenges.

WION: Certainly, I think from the perspective of Europe and the world, if Europe and Russia are able to work more closely together, then certainly it will have a positive impact.

Ziegler: Of course

WION: Ambassador Ziegler, I want to thank you for your very-very candid, very detailed responses to many of the questions, but before I close the interview, I wanted to move to some of your personal experiences and impressions. Now you have been in India for some time and you are from France, what do you find common between India and France?

Ziegler: We are two countries that managed to be global actors, very much engaged in globalisation, very proactive into this globalised world while being very much attached to preserving our tradition, our history, our heritage. I will take a concrete example. You have Hollywood and you have two countries with a major cinema industry in the world today, which are France and Bollywood and it's not only by chance. I think it tells something about the way we are approaching this new world - both globalised and attached to our tradition. From a more personal point of view, I would say that the warmth of the people is definitely something that we have in common. This immediate connection, this kind of irrational chemistry that makes people connect immediately. You know when I sit in a dinner in Delhi, if I close my eyes, I could be in Paris, the same kind of conversation, same kind of cultural, political, this debating society. This is something that we share very much in common, and that is very striking to all my French friends or colleagues who visit me in India. Secondly you were mentioning cuisine, obviously, we are two foodie nations and I think we are respectively in love with our gastronomy.&nbsp;

WION: Well, talking of cuisine, I saw some reports in the media that you have said that you might turn vegetarian after a visit to Khajuraho and meeting a Jain seer there. Is there any truth to that?&nbsp;

Ziegler: Well, it is an amazing story. Actually, I was in a private tour with my family in Khajuraho, and I came across this religious man who was really-really impressive, and we had a very deep conversation together, and I think we both agreed on the fact that we might have our culinary traditions, they are differences between France and India, and I am personally very much attached to my own culinary traditions, but there is one thing on which we should agree, and we actually do agree that we should go for a more sustainable way of feeding the planet. You can't feed seven billion people on the planet, the way you were feeding it even 20 or 30 years ago, and well we had a conversation on this and I think we agreed on this principle.

Commenting on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, on Thursday asserted that people should go by "facts and not the tweets.

Commenting on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, on Thursday asserted that people should go by "facts and not the tweets." Speaking to former Indian ambassador to the US Arun K Singh on WION's 'The Diplomacy Show', Ziegler, when asked about the ongoing controversy over Rafale deal, said, "Look at the track record of our 70-year-old relation, I don't think there is anything to worry about, honestly." Here is the full transcript of the interview: WION: Ambassador Ziegler, I recall just a few days ago you had invited me to the embassy at a very very exceptional event, honouring the participation of Indian soldiers in the First World War, fighting there on behalf of France, fighting against Germany and making a very important contribution. How has France looked at the contribution of Indian soldiers during the First World War, and then later during the Second World War? Ziegler: Well, you know we do remember that ten thousand Indian soldiers actually died in France fighting for our freedom, fighting for our liberty. They made an exceptional contribution to the war effort. We have to honour their name; we have to honour memory- that's what the Vice President of India actually did in Paris, while inaugurating the very first Franco-Indian war memorial in north of France, but we also have to remember that we were not celebrating a victory, we were not celebrating the horrible fighting of World War I. We were celebrating peace, and peace doesn't have to be taken for granted in today's world, and this is also an opportunity to remember that we all have responsibilities in preserving peace, and that France and India do have a special responsibility in working together, so that these horrible fights of a century ago will never happen again. WION: Thank you. Thank you for that. India and France do work together to support many causes around the world, attempting to promote peace. and even in the First World War as you recalled, there were more than one and a half million Indian soldiers involved and, almost seventy-five thousand lost their lives. Prime Minister Modi, when he had visited France in 2015, had gone to Neuve Chapelle, which is a special monument dedicated to Indian soldiers who had sacrificed their lives at that time. But moving from there, because this is just one reflection of the cooperation that has been there, not just recent, but over time, so moving from there, if we look at the new areas of cooperation between our two countries and some of the very-very critical areas, how have you assessed the Defence Cooperation that exists between our two countries, because Defence Cooperation always reflects a heightened level of confidence in the relationship. Ziegler: No, that's true. We are celebrating this year - the 20th anniversary of our strategic partnership. France was actually the very first country with which India engaged into a strategic partnership in 1998 and it's not by chance. We've built with India over the past seven decades; a relationship that has always been based on large amount of trust, which is in today's world - a value that is probably the most important. We have always been with India in easy moments, which is easy, but also in difficult times. We've been an all-weather partner for India. × WION: Can you mention in this context, when you say “one of the difficult times when France has been a partner of India?” Ziegler: Well, 1998 for instance, nuclear testing, Kargil was also an example. So I think trust is at the very basis of our partnership, which is a very long lasting one. It's a seventy-year-old partnership actually, much longer than the 20-year-old strategic partnership. WION: Sure, and what are the some of the specific areas of cooperation in defence? Ziegler: We have engaged over the past decades in many Strategic Programs, Space Cooperation, and Civil Nuclear Cooperation- which are all long-term programs, which require once again, a very large amount of trust, defence equipment as well. We have been committed to ‘Make-in-India' for decades. We have manufactured with Indian partners, helicopters, missiles, many equipments. WION: In Defence, I recall that France has supplied submarines and partnered with India also for the assembling of submarines in India. It has supplied aircraft to India. The Mystère, the Mirage and now the Rafale. So, very strong cooperation. Now in that framework, some of the controversies that has arisen recently regarding Rafale, does that cause you any concern? Ziegler: Well, I would say, you know, very simply, look at the facts, not at the tweets. Look at the track record of our 60-year-old, 70-year-old relation in defence manufacturing and in defence procurement with India. Look at the facts, and I don't think there is anything to worry about, honestly. WION: And I do recall that the Mirage aircraft had been used very successfully by India in the context of the Kargil conflict that was there, and that is acknowledged, and you referred to 1998 and I think people here do recall that when we had done the nuclear tests in 1998, France was perhaps the only permanent member of the U.N. Security Council that had shown understanding for India's compulsions and opposed any sanctions against India. So I think that's perhaps the reason why we had entered into a strategic partnership, but going from defence to space, again for India we have a very ambitious space program, and France is one of the critical partners for India, and during the recent visit of President Macron to India in March, a joint vision on space cooperation was also signed. So can you talk a little about that too? Ziegler: Yes, you're right to mention it because our partnership is not only about history, it's about what do we do in the future, and we actually agreed last March (during President Macron's visit to India) on two major strategic vision documents - one of the Indian Ocean (maybe we'll come back to it later), and one on space. We have 40-year-old cooperation in space. India is actually the very first partner outside Europe for the French space industry and space research, and we wanted to give a new impetus to this field of cooperation, which will become even more strategic in the years to come. WION: Well, I do recall Ambassador Ziegler, that when I had served in France as India's Ambassador to France, I had made a visit to Kourou in French Guiana for the launch of an Indian satellite, and it was quite an experience, and we have launched almost 20 satellites from there using the Arianespace vehicle, and France has launched satellites from India, and we have done two joint satellites, and I understand that there are now plans for a third joint satellite? Ziegler: Absolutely. WION: What will be the focus of that? Ziegler: We've been working for years now on programs concerning satellites that have an active role in fighting climate change, climate monitoring, and environmental monitoring, and we are actually in the process of developing a third one, and as you rightly mentioned, we've been using our respective launchers to launch our satellites, and this is also a cooperation that is going to expand in the years to come. WION: And I was happy to note in the announcement that India and France would now also be cooperating in the missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus; but moving from space to civil nuclear cooperation, again an area for longstanding and critical cooperation between India and France. India and France had signed the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between them in September 2008, before India had even signed it with the United States, yet so far concrete progress in implementation seems to have been absent. So can you talk a little about that? Why is it that we have not really made much progress in terms of actual plants or their operationalisation happening in India? Ziegler: Well, I wouldn't agree on this. We've made quite a lot of progress. We signed last March, a very important document – ‘Industrial Way Forward Agreement’, that is actually concluding an agreement on the industrial scheme of our project of constructing six last-generation nuclear reactors, six EPR in the south of India in Jaitapur. It was the very first milestone. We are now engaged in two commercial negotiations. We've engaged also in negotiations on the financing part of it, but it's definitely moving. It's moving quite fast, and I'm very confident that we will reach an agreement. WION: So now moving from the bilateral to some of the regional and global issues, as you mentioned India and France recently signed the Joint Strategic Vision for the Indian Ocean cooperation, and there is a lot of talks now about the Indo-Pacific, and France also has a presence in the Pacific region. So how is France looking at the emerging challenge that people say from the rise of China from its growing economic military potential, the militarization of islands in the South China Sea, and how does it look at its various cooperation with countries in this region including with India in this context? Ziegler: Well, we have two million inhabitants in the Indo-Pacific. We have also military assets, military capabilities in this region, but having 2 million inhabitants in this region means that what is happening in the Indo-Pacific is also of strategic importance for us, and we are facing with India the same challenges in this region. How do we maintain the freedom of navigation? How do we fight against piracy, against terrorism coming from the sea? How do we tackle the consequences of climate change? How do we work on Blue Economy in this region? How do we preserve the resources for fishing? So all these challenges that are being faced by India, they are also our challenges, so it was pretty normal that we should engage in strong cooperation with a country like India, which actually shares the same vision of the way the Indo-Pacific should evolve in the coming years. WION: Another area I found Indian and French leaders emphasis is the commonality of values. Ziegler: Yes. WION: I also wanted to refer to the common challenges that both France and India face- the challenge of terrorism. France has been subjected to several terrorist attacks; India has faced the challenge of terrorism, cross-border terrorism. So how do you see the commonality of this challenge, and what the two countries are doing to work together here? Ziegler: Well, November has been a terrible month. We were commemorating the third anniversary of the Paris attacks where one hundred thirty-one people died three years ago, and India was commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Mumbai attacks where almost 200 people died including actually French citizens. So we have to remember that we are faced with the same threat. It's a global phenomenon of course but being two democracies, being two democracies attacked by terrorists because we are democracies, because we are open societies. Of course, we have to find a common answer to it. We are sharing a lot. We are working a lot. It's actually one of the fastest-developing topics of cooperation within our strategic partnership, sharing intelligence, developing concrete cooperation between our police forces, but also working on what we can do on the Internet, what we can do on the Cyberspace to prevent the spread of these awful ideas, that are not only limited to places in the world where we have to fight militarily as we are doing in Iraq, as we are doing in Syria, as we are doing in the Sahel region; but which are actually entering into your bedrooms through your computers, entering to your apartment; and I think this is a major challenge, and especially a major challenge for the two democracies, and this is among all the others, one of the topics on which we have been working a lot together with India over the past months. WION: That's good to hear - certainly an important area for cooperation. Another question I wanted to ask you about an area where France seems to be taking some lead, especially in Europe about dealing with the challenge posed by the new uncertainty emerging from the United States, where the US allies and others are questioning the level of US commitment, the trade and political challenges that are being posed to them and President Macron has spoken several times about Europe taking an independent posture. So, how is France looking at all that and how do you see this evolving? Ziegler: Well, you know we have a tradition in our diplomacy of strategic independence, of strategic autonomy. It dates back from the 60s. It's probably one of the reasons why we get along so well with India because we definitely share this concern, so it's part of our DNA, I would say. We are also allied with the United States. We are actually the oldest allies, historically of the United States. This alliance is important to us, and it is symbolized encapsulated within NATO. We are attached to NATO, but having said that, we also believe that the EU as such, Europe has to be perceived as a sovereign continent and has to invest more in protecting its citizens, in protecting its sovereignty, so that it can be an ally to the US, but not dependent. That's the very logic of what we are proposing, and I don't see honestly any contradiction between the two aspects. So you can be sovereign and you can be allied at the same time. That's exactly what President Macron is saying, and actually, by the way, I think that's very much in line with what President Trump was saying a year ago - when he was saying Europe should take more responsibility. WION: One of the challenges that France and Europe seem to be facing is in terms of its relationship with Russia, which is a very important partner also for India, and France at times has had a good relationship with Russia, but of late in the context of Crimea, Ukraine and perhaps other factors, there has been some differences in approach. Would it not make sense from France's perspective to work out an arrangement whereby Russia is working more closely with Europe, and not pushed in the direction of greater integration out of force with China? So, how does it work for France? Ziegler: Well, of course, it does and that's exactly what we are doing. I'd say that the very DNA of the European project was based on the assumption that the territorial integrity of any European country, that the borders would never be touched anymore, that it wouldn't be an issue anymore, and that's very important for us, that's very symbolic also given the history of Europe and that's the reason why we couldn't accept what has happened in Ukraine. Having said that, I agree with you, Russia is our neighbour. We have a long historical, cultural, tradition of friendship with Russia. It is also one of the major powers in the world, and of course, we have to keep engaging with Russia, of course, we have to work with Russia. That's what we are doing actually, that's what we are doing on a daily basis, trying to solve crisis including what's happening today in Syria, and President Macron is keeping very regular contact and very deep contact with President Putin. Well, we want Russia and Europe to more proactively to solve the original crisis and the challenges. WION: Certainly, I think from the perspective of Europe and the world, if Europe and Russia are able to work more closely together, then certainly it will have a positive impact. Ziegler: Of course WION: Ambassador Ziegler, I want to thank you for your very-very candid, very detailed responses to many of the questions, but before I close the interview, I wanted to move to some of your personal experiences and impressions. Now you have been in India for some time and you are from France, what do you find common between India and France? Ziegler: We are two countries that managed to be global actors, very much engaged in globalisation, very proactive into this globalised world while being very much attached to preserving our tradition, our history, our heritage. I will take a concrete example. You have Hollywood and you have two countries with a major cinema industry in the world today, which are France and Bollywood and it's not only by chance. I think it tells something about the way we are approaching this new world - both globalised and attached to our tradition. From a more personal point of view, I would say that the warmth of the people is definitely something that we have in common. This immediate connection, this kind of irrational chemistry that makes people connect immediately. You know when I sit in a dinner in Delhi, if I close my eyes, I could be in Paris, the same kind of conversation, same kind of cultural, political, this debating society. This is something that we share very much in common, and that is very striking to all my French friends or colleagues who visit me in India. Secondly you were mentioning cuisine, obviously, we are two foodie nations and I think we are respectively in love with our gastronomy. WION: Well, talking of cuisine, I saw some reports in the media that you have said that you might turn vegetarian after a visit to Khajuraho and meeting a Jain seer there. Is there any truth to that? Ziegler: Well, it is an amazing story. Actually, I was in a private tour with my family in Khajuraho, and I came across this religious man who was really-really impressive, and we had a very deep conversation together, and I think we both agreed on the fact that we might have our culinary traditions, they are differences between France and India, and I am personally very much attached to my own culinary traditions, but there is one thing on which we should agree, and we actually do agree that we should go for a more sustainable way of feeding the planet. You can't feed seven billion people on the planet, the way you were feeding it even 20 or 30 years ago, and well we had a conversation on this and I think we agreed on this principle.

I don't think there is anything to worry about: French Ambassador to India on Rafale deal controversy

Lok Sabha proceedings were again disrupted on Thursday as vociferous protests and sloganeering over various issues forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House till noon.

Despite repeated warnings from Mahajan, Congress, AIADMK and TDP members continued to stand in the Well of the House and sought to raise various issues, including Rafale deal.

Soon after the Question Hour began, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to raise the issue of Rafale deal but Mahajan said the matter can be raised during the Zero Hour.

Besides Congress members who were demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the deal, those from AIADMK protested against the construction of a dam across Cauvery River. TDP members sought to raise issues related to Andhra Pradesh.

As more than 30 members from the three parties continued to shout slogans and displayed placards while standing in the Well, Mahajan's repeated requests asking them to go back to their seats did not yield any result.

"I am warning you. Go back to your seats... I will be naming you," a visibly peeved Mahajan told protesting members.

"I want justice for all...," the Speaker said as she wanted the proceedings to continue.

Kharge said the government should be directed to constitute a JPC to look into the Rafale deal.

One question was taken up during the Question Hour, which went on for around 15 minutes.

As the din continued, Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.&nbsp;

Lok Sabha proceedings were again disrupted on Thursday as vociferous protests and sloganeering over various issues forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House till noon.

Lok Sabha proceedings were again disrupted on Thursday as vociferous protests and sloganeering over various issues forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House till noon. Despite repeated warnings from Mahajan, Congress, AIADMK and TDP members continued to stand in the Well of the House and sought to raise various issues, including Rafale deal. Soon after the Question Hour began, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to raise the issue of Rafale deal but Mahajan said the matter can be raised during the Zero Hour. Besides Congress members who were demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the deal, those from AIADMK protested against the construction of a dam across Cauvery River. TDP members sought to raise issues related to Andhra Pradesh. As more than 30 members from the three parties continued to shout slogans and displayed placards while standing in the Well, Mahajan's repeated requests asking them to go back to their seats did not yield any result. "I am warning you. Go back to your seats... I will be naming you," a visibly peeved Mahajan told protesting members. "I want justice for all...," the Speaker said as she wanted the proceedings to continue. Kharge said the government should be directed to constitute a JPC to look into the Rafale deal. One question was taken up during the Question Hour, which went on for around 15 minutes. As the din continued, Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.

Lok Sabha adjourned amid protests over Rafale deal, other issues

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-to-file-appeal-in-herald-house-eviction-case-sources-185857">The Congress</a> in Tamil Nadu Tuesday announced state-wide public meetings next month to highlight the "anti-people" approach of the Central and state governments, with focus on the Rafale deal.

TNCC President Su Thirunavukkarasar said the meetings would be held between January 2 and 12, 2019, in line with a decision arrived earlier in a party's district leaders meeting.

In a statement, he recalled Congress President Rahul Gandhi's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe into the pricing issue relating to the French combat aircraft.

"The Congress has a big democratic responsibility to inform people about this mega scam," Thirunavukkarasar said.

The party also had the 'responsibility' to highlight the 'anti-people' approach of both the BJP-led Central government as well as the AIADMK rule in Tamil Nadu on many issues, he added.

With the Lok Sabha elections "due soon," the party's high command has issued directions to conduct such meetings.

Opposition parties led by the Congress have been attacking the Modi government over the deal, alleging that it was struck at an exorbitant price and benefited an Indian businessman at the cost of the government-run HAL.

However, the charges have been denied by the government.

The Supreme Court had on December 14 given the Narendra Modi government a clean chit on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had recently demanded in the Lok Sabha that Rahul Gandhi should apologise on the floor of the House for "misleading" the country on the Rafale jet deal issue.

The Congress in Tamil Nadu Tuesday announced state-wide public meetings next month to highlight the "anti-people" approach of the Central and state governments, with focus on the Rafale deal.

The Congress in Tamil Nadu Tuesday announced state-wide public meetings next month to highlight the "anti-people" approach of the Central and state governments, with focus on the Rafale deal. TNCC President Su Thirunavukkarasar said the meetings would be held between January 2 and 12, 2019, in line with a decision arrived earlier in a party's district leaders meeting. In a statement, he recalled Congress President Rahul Gandhi's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe into the pricing issue relating to the French combat aircraft. "The Congress has a big democratic responsibility to inform people about this mega scam," Thirunavukkarasar said. The party also had the 'responsibility' to highlight the 'anti-people' approach of both the BJP-led Central government as well as the AIADMK rule in Tamil Nadu on many issues, he added. With the Lok Sabha elections "due soon," the party's high command has issued directions to conduct such meetings. Opposition parties led by the Congress have been attacking the Modi government over the deal, alleging that it was struck at an exorbitant price and benefited an Indian businessman at the cost of the government-run HAL. However, the charges have been denied by the government. The Supreme Court had on December 14 given the Narendra Modi government a clean chit on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had recently demanded in the Lok Sabha that Rahul Gandhi should apologise on the floor of the House for "misleading" the country on the Rafale jet deal issue.

Congress announces meetings in Tamil Nadu on Rafale deal

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