Govt rules out JPC on Rafale

New Delhi, September 5 

The Modi government on Wednesday dismissed the Congress demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal with France saying: “... to satisfy the ego of an ill-informed gentleman (Rahul Gandhi) it was not an option”.

With the government under attack from the Opposition on the issue, the top security brass briefed the Union Council of Ministers on the fighter aircraft deal, saying its cost was based on equipment and weapons that would be integrated into the jet.

The presentation was made in a bid to provide the leaders with facts to counter the allegations of favouritism and corruption being levelled against the government by the Opposition.

A senior government functionary said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Secretary, Defence Production, Ajay Kumar, highlighted various aspects of the deal at the meeting which lasted more than two hours. The ministers were informed that it was a deal between two governments involving no private party, leaving little scope for corruption. 

The Opposition led by the Congress has been attacking the Modi government over the deal, alleging that it was struck at an exorbitant price and had benefited an Indian businessman at the cost of the government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The charges have been denied by the government.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said questioning the deal was the “biggest ignorance”. He said cost escalation and currency variations between 2007- 2016 had to be considered. “The 36 jets will come in a fly away condition and not even a bolt will be fitted here ... during UPA (rule), they did not believe in transfer of technology but preferred to buy (hardware) from foreign buyers ...,” he said. — TNS/PTI