No scam but why this secrecy around a defence deal?

In December last year, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition seeking a probe into the Narendra Modi government’s decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets at $8.8 billion from the French company Dassault. Now, the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) of India has said the jets were bought at a cheaper price than what was negotiated by the previous government. The federal auditor’s report, which took over 18 months to produce, absolves the Modi government on two grounds: cheaper pricing and early deliveries. The current contract for the Rafale jets is 2.86 per cent cheaper than the original pricing, it states. The deal for the purchase was in fact 17.08 per cent cheaper considering the India-specific enhancements requested by the Modi government, the report states. The report also notes that the agreement would ensure faster delivery of the aircraft. These findings counter the charge made by several leaders in the opposition that the fighter jets were overpriced and clears some air around suspicions of a scam or corruption in the bidding and awarding process for the fighter jets. At a time when elections are just months away, it could give the Modi government some positive Press as well.

But there are some lingering questions on why the government allowed the opposition to make a big deal out of this crucial defence purchase. Why was this deal shrouded in secrecy? If the Modi government had found merit in revising the deal, shouldn’t it have done so by taking parliament into confidence? Charges of nepotism will however stick but graft has been ruled out. The Modi government touted its clean image and the prime minister had promised clean governance. But the veil of silence over matters that are considered of national importance and security has brought with it much recrimination. Questions from the opposition were not countered with facts and figures which led to more allegations of a cover-up. Transparency and disclosure are key in a democracy. The Rafale deal might not become Modi’s Bofors after all. Opposition leaders will be disappointed, but the PM’s image has been dented with this controversy.

If the Modi government had found merit in revising the deal, shouldn’t it have done so by taking parliament into confidence?