Rahul dares Modi to debate on Rafale deal,BJP hits back

Congress president Rahul Gandhi kicked off the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign in Karnataka on Monday by challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a debate on the Rafale aircraft deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest. The ruling BJP responded swiftly,terming the allegation “reckless and baseless”. Speaking at a Janadhwani rally in Bidar, Karnataka, to mark the start of the 2019 campaign, Gandhi said he would like “a debate [to] happen between me and Narendra Modi on Rafale deal... I will speak at length for hours.” Gandhi has on several occasions alleged wrongdoing — which the government has denied — in the deal to purchase 36 Rafale military aircraft made by the French company Dassault. The deal followed an earlier proposal — now scrapped — by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for the purchase of 136 Rafale planes.

“I spoke about the Rafale deal in Parliament… The United Progressive Alliance wanted lakhs of Indian youth to get jobs through the deal and so it was given to public sector, with clauses for technology transfer as well,” Gandhi said. “Under the UPA deal, 136 aircraft were to be purchased, each costing ₹526 crore. But the Modi government chan– ged this and now only 36 planes will be bought at ₹1,600 crore per aircraft and without technology transfer,” Gandhi said.

The BJP dismissed Gandhi’s criticism of the Rafale deal as desperation because of an income tax investigation against company, Young Indian, in which he and his mother Sonia Gandhi hold a 76% stake.