The Congress on Thursday once again trained its guns at the BJP as it alleged that the Narendra Modi government shunted a senior official, who indicated the loss in the Rafale jet deal, and rewarded his boss who overruled him, saying there were “perks of pleasing” that covered “corruption tracks.”
Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also said that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has paid 300 per cent more for the defence deal that was negotiated to purchase 36 fighter jets from France as compared to an earlier price offered by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for 126 jets.
In a tweet in which Surjewala attached an Indian Express report, he said that the Modi government shunted the whistle-blower Joint Secretary (Air) who questioned the loss to government treasury by paying 300 per cent extra for 36 Rafale.
“Modi Govt sent on leave the ‘whistleblower’ Jt Secy(Air), who questioned loss to Govt Treasury by paying 300% extra for 36 #Rafale. DG,Smita Nagaraj,who overruled the Jt Secy,was made a member of UPSC. Perks of pleasing Modi Govt cover corruption tracks,” he tweeted.
In another tweet, he wrote, “And Ms. Smitha Nagaraj was brought in as DG (Acquisition) by Modiji’s PMO! Truth has a way of catching up!!!!”
#RafaleScam
Ohh!!!And Ms. Smitha Nagaraj was brought in as DG (Acquisition) by Modiji’s PMO!
Truth has a way of catching up!!!! pic.twitter.com/p4ny8Xdzt7
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 27, 2018
The newspaper report stated that nearly a month before the deal was signed in September 2016 by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his French counterpart in New Delhi, then Joint Secretary and Acquisition Manager (Air) in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), who had been part of the Contract Negotiations Committee (CNC), raised questions about the benchmark price and put his objections on record.
The objections raised delayed the Cabinet note approving the deal and its signing, which only happened after his objections were “overruled” by another senior MoD official, Director General (Acquisition).
The government-to-government deal for 36 Rafale aircrafts was announced by Modi during his visit to Paris in April 2015. The proposal for the earlier 126 Rafale jets during the UPA’s regime was scrapped.
(With agency inputs)