Modi owes explanation on Rafale deal, says Sukhu

SHIMLA: State Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale deal and said rather than maintaining silence on the controversial issue he owes an explanation to the nation

Updated At : 05:37 AM Jul 28, 2018 IST

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 27

State Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale deal and said rather than maintaining silence on the controversial issue, he owes an explanation to the nation.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Sukhu said the BJP had been rattled by the disclosures about the deal made by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. “The stoic silence by Modi on the issue is only reaffirming the doubts and allegations of a secret deal,” he alleged.

Sukhu demanded that the nation had the right to know why the NDA regime went in for such an expensive purchase. He said the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd had suffered in a big way on being kept out of the project. “The Congress will hold protests and demonstration at all district headquarters on the scam which has resulted in huge loss to the government exchequer,” he revealed.

The Congress leader alleged that “crony capitalism” had virtually become the DNA of the Modi-led BJP regime. “It is evident that attempts are being made to hide one lie after the other to hide the truth in the purchase of 36 fighter Rafale fighter jets,” he alleged.

He said the NDA regime paid a much higher price for the purchase of 36 Rafale jets as compared to the price that had been negotiated by the UPA regime while in power. “The deal struck by the NDA regime under Modi has hit the interest of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which was excluded from the project,” he said. He also alleged that the NDA regime had not adhered to the Defence Procurement Procedure.

}The BJP has been rattled by the disclosures about the deal made by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. The stoic silence by Modi on the issue is only reaffirming the doubts and allegations of a secret deal. The nation has the right to know why the NDA regime went in for such an expensive purchase. — Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, State Congress President