France fears damage as Hollande fans row

Paris, September 23

The French government said on Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former President Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell 36 Rafale fighter jets.

Hollande, who left office last year, said on Friday that jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation had been given no choice about its local partner in a 2016 deal with the Narendra Modi government.

Dassault announced afterwards it was partnering with  Anil Ambani rather than  public defence conglomerate HAL.

Hollande’s remark that Dassault “did not have a say in it” added fuel to claims that the Modi government had intervened to help Ambani.

“I find these remarks... do not help anyone and above all do not help France,” junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said about Hollande. “Because one is no longer in office, causing damage to a strategic partnership by making remarks that cause controversy in India is really not appropriate,” he said. 

Hollande made the comments to defend himself because Reliance had partially financed a film produced by his girlfriend in 2016. — AFP