Cong workers allege scam in purchase of Rafale jets

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

The Chandigarh Congress Territorial Committee, under the leadership of former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president Pardeep Chhabra, along with AICC office-bearers, staged a protest here today. They marched towards the Governor’s House to submit a memorandum against the Modi government alleging a scam in the purchase of Rafale jets.

The protest started from the Sector 19-27 traffic light point. The protesters marched towards the Governor’s House raisings slogans against the Modi Government and holding banners and huge cut-outs of Rafale fighter jets. However, they were stopped by the police, who had placed multiple layer barricading. A huge police force was deployed to stop the protesters from marching ahead. The police used water cannons on the protesters several times, in which several persons got injured.

Former Union Minister Pawan Bansal said Rafale jets, which the France Government agreed to sell at Rs 526 crore per aircraft, were purchased by the Modi Government at Rs 1,670 crore per aircraft. The HAL that had a vast experience of 60 years was kept away and 12 days old company was made an offset partner.

Bansal said the Prime Minister was silent on the subject and instead of him, other cabinet ministers are answering the queries and they are contradicting their statements.

The government has no answer to the queries that why an aircraft of Rs 526 crore has been purchased at Rs 1,670 crore. Later, a memorandum in this regard was submitted by Chandigarh Congress president Pardeep Chhabra to the Governor, demanding that the Rafale scam should be immediately referred to a joint parliamentary committee for investigation.