Rahul Gandhi Stands By His Rafale Deal Claim; Says, 'Let French Government Deny His Charges'

New Delhi, July 20: Congress President Rahul Gandhi has responded to the French statement regarding the secrecy clause in the Rafale Deal. Gandhi standing by his claim, said that the French government can deny his charges. Earlier in the day, the Congress president slammed the Modi government over the Rafale Deal. Gandhi alleged that the defence minister was lying to the nation under pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress president, while speaking during the ‘no-confidence motion,’ claimed that he had asked French President Emmanuel Macron about the secrecy clause in the deal, but the president denied the existence of such a pact. However, responding to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, the French government issued a statement in which they mentioned that the deal was sensitive and its details could not be revealed.

The UPA government had signed a deal with French company Dassault Aviation to procure 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), Rafale Fighter jets worth Rs 78,000 crore. Out of these 126 jets, 18 were to be procured in ready-to-fly condition and rest were to be produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL). However, after coming to power, the NDA government scrapped the old deal and signed a new deal in 2016, worth Rs 59,000 to acquire 36 jets in ready-to- fly condition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2018 07:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).