Rafale Jets Under NDA Deal Value Rs 1,600 Crore Each? Arun Jaitley Revealed Price, Says Rahul Gandhi
'Jaitley ji in his speech in Parliament had said the deal is (Rs) 58000 cr, so divide this by 36, what figure do you get? Rs 1600 crore,' Rahul Gandhi said.
New Delhi, January 2: Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued his tirade against the Narendra Modi government outside the Parliament as well, claiming that the "inflated" price of Rafale fighter jets being quoted by him was revealed through the speech of Union Minister Arun Jaitley.
The Gandhi scion played a video clip while addressing the press, in which Jaitley was heard informing the Parliament that deal inked with Dassault Aviation in 2015 values Rs 58,000 crore. If the said amount is divided by 36 -- the number of Rafale jets which will be procured under the pact -- the price of each jet will emerge as Rs 1,800 crore. Rafale Deal Debate Highlights: Rahul Gandhi, Arun Jaitley Trade Heated Barbs; Shiv Sena, CPM, TMC Target Centre.
"They keep asking where does Congress get the (Rs) 1600 crore per aircraft figure, let me tell you from where. Jaitley ji in his speech in Parliament had said the deal is (Rs) 58000 cr, so divide this by 36, what figure do you get? Rs 1600 crore," Gandhi said.
The Congress chief also rebutted Jaitley's claim that a new deal was necessitated with Dassault in 2015 to procure fighter planes upgraded with additional capabilities.
All capabilities cited by Jaitley in new deal, were listed in the UPA-era pact as well, Gandhi claimed.
"The bureaucrats of this nation, the media personnel know the truth. If a JPC probe is ordered, the truth will come out. Two people will be exposed: Anil Ambani and Narendra Modi," he said.
Gandhi said he wants to debate the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal "one-on-one" with PM Modi.
Further taking a jibe at the Prime Minister, he quipped, "Instead of giving a scripted interview, he should come and face the questions of the Opposition and the media."
Earlier in the day, the Lok Sabha debated the Rafale deal. While the Opposition demanded the government to sanction a JPC probe, the Centre denied, saying, "The truth is already clear through the Supreme Court order."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2019 07:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).