As the 2019 Parliamentary Election in India is imminent, the ruling and the opposition political parties have begun their blame games to a different level. What the Indian National Congress has held firm is the Rafale Deal; a deal that was suddenly announced during the PM’s visit to France in April 2015. With the election on the way, INC President Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders have been asking many questions about the deal. But according to the government, due to security issues, it has not mentioned the price and other terms to the public.
In a T.V. interview, P.Chidambaram, former Finance Minister raised 3 questions towards the Defence Minster. His first question is that while there is already an agreement to buy 126 fighter planes, what was the reason for canceling it? Why has the government not revealed the cause for canceling the agreement which was 95% agreed to be executed?
The Air Force has asked 7 squadrons’ worth of aircraft which tallies to 126 planes. But the government has only bought just 36 planes instead of 126, why so?
If the price of the planes is 7-25% lesser than the amount it was said to Congress, then why has the present government bought just 36? If it is lower, then the number of planes could be bought in bigger numbers; why hasn’t the government purchased more?
However, the government has remained strong in its conviction that it has done everything in the best interest of the country. The answers to these 3 questions raised by Chidambaram are yet to be received from the Defence Minister.