Headlines
Rafale deal: Congress dares Swamy to go to court
New Delhi, April 11
Congress general secretary
Digvijay Singh on Saturday dared Subramanian Swamy to move court over
the Rafale deal after the BJP leader said he will approach the court
against the deal as he claimed the fighter jet has shortcomings.
Experts, however, have said the government's decision to acquire 36 Rafale jets is to be welcomed.
"I dare Subramanian Swamy to go to court on Rafale Jet purchase," Singh said in a tweet.
Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar has welcomed the decision to purchase 36
Rafale jets, saying that India has not purchased any new generation
aircraft in 17 years.
Swamy in a letter posted on Twitter has
said: "I urge the Prime Minister not to finalize the Rafael Aircraft
Deal with France. The deal originally was negotiated by the previous UPA
Government."
He claimed "that Rafael is a less fuel efficient
aircraft and lacking in essential performance characteristics because of
which no country in the world has agreed to buy these aircraft.
"Some
countries have cancelled contracts after signing an MoU with Dasault,
the manufacturers, after carrying out a trial of the plane, for example,
Switzerland."
"The Rafael performance of Libya and Egypt turned
out to be worst of all the aircraft which were deployed by the allies
liberating the countries from tyranny."
"If the Prime Minister
for some other compulsion anyway decides to go ahead with the deal, then
I will have no option but to approach the Court in a PIL to get it set
aside"
Strategic expert Uday Bhaskar supported the decision to
purchase 36 Rafale jets in fly away condition announced by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with French President Francois
Hollande on Friday.
Bhaskar told IANS: "The decision to acquire
36 Rafale fighter aircraft is to be welcomed for it will redress a
serious operational deficiency as far as the Indian Air Force is
concerned."
"This is an innovative and expedient option, given
the procedural complexity and time lines that are associated with the
larger MMRCA deal."
"Hopefully the current Rafale deal will allow
India to review its long term strategic and defence cooperation
agreements with major suppliers such as France."
Digvijay Singh
also tweeted: "Modi buys 36 Ready to Fly Rafale Jets from France off the
shelf. Is this the new Defence Purchase Policy of GOI?Would CAG/CVC
please take notice."
"When PM was buying Fighter Aircrafts in France our Defence Min was buying Fish in Goa! Minimum Govt and Max Governance."
"When
PM is signing deals Abroad Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is
propagating Modi's future achievements in Vidisha MP," he tweeted.