Opposition renews demand for probe into Rafale jet deal

Opposition parties on Sunday stepped up demands for a probe into the purchase of Rafale combat jets after French authorities ordered an investigation into “corruption and favouritism” in the deal.

A French judge has been appointed to lead a “highly sensitive” judicial probe into suspected “corruption” and “favouritism” in the ~59,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal with India, French investigative website Mediapart has reported.

The Congress called for an investigation into the allegations, including changes in the terms of the contract for the 2016 purchase of 36 fighters from Dassault Aviation SA. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said a “fair joint parliamentary committee be constituted immediately and every aspect of the Rafale deal be investigated.” Khera sought to know that in an inter-governmental defence deal, where there cannot be any middlemen or corruption, when the beneficiary of any “corruption” has ordered a probe, why has a country, which has lost public money, not ordered one? He alleged that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a lot of noise about national security, but undermines the country's security interests when it comes to helping its crony capitalist friends.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi put out an online survey asking why the Modi government was not ready for it. Among the choices given by Gandhi to the question were guilt conscience, saving friends, JPC does not want a Rajya Sabha seat and all the above. “Why is the Modi government not ready for a JPC probe? — guilt conscience, saving the friends, JPC does not want a Rajya Sabha seat and all of these are right,” he said in Hindi on Twitter, while putting out the survey.

The TMC also demanded a “transparent probe” into the Rafale aircraft deal. “Why did the price of Rafale fighter aircraft go up thrice the initial bid? Why did the defence ministry still strike a deal? We want an answer,” TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury reiterated the demand for a JPC probe. In a tweet on Sunday, Yechury said the French judicial investigation into the deal reconfirms the apprehensions raised by the CPI(M) that PM Modi’s turnaround from the earlier purchase agreement, is mired in deep corruption and money laundering

On Saturday, the BJP had termed the allegations “lies”. BJP spokesperson Sambit had also sought to play down the appointment of a judge, saying the development was an outcome of a complaint by an NGO and should not be seen as a matter of corruption.