Parrikar denied involvement in new Rafale deal, says Rahul

TIL Desk/National/Kochi/ Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said former defence minister Manohar Parrikar “clearly denied” any involvement in the new Rafale fighter jet deal “orchestrated” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “benefit” Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani.

“Friends, the ex-defence minister clearly stated that he has nothing to do with the new deal that was orchestrated by Mr. Narendra Modi to benefit Anil Ambani,” Rahul told booth level party workers here. The Gandhi scion went on to say that as a result of this “crime,” thousands of young Indians all across the country have been kept from getting high paying jobs with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Rahul further attacked the Prime Minister over former French president Francois Hollande’s statement last year, wherein he said that the Indian government gave Dassault Aviation no choice but to choose Reliance Aviation as the offset partner.

“I would like to ask you, why did the ex-President of France tell the press clearly that he was told by the Indian Prime Minister to give the Rafale contract to Mr Anil Ambani? I want to ask you, why was the man who has no experience in building an aircraft given a contract that was snatched away from those people who had been building aircraft for 70 years in the country,” Rahul said.