More facts on Rafale to be out soon: Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said more facts on the Rafale fighter deal and the Vijay Mallya row will be out soon as he used his home turf to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

“This is the beginning,” he told reporters on the last day of the two-day trip to his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

He said there will be more on the Rafale deal, and on the people who were involved with the fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

“The truth will be before you and you can judge,” he said.

“We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister what is the price of the aircraft. Defence minister says that she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. Defence minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price),” he told reporters on the second day of the visit to his constituency.

He said he had raised the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him whether there really was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details.

“Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft they can,” the Congress chief said.

“First, the question is why did defence minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft ₹526 crore versus ₹1,600 crore. Even other countries have also bought the Rafale aircraft but not for ₹1,600 crore,” he said rhetorically.

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