Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony demands probe, asks if NDA deal is cheaper than UPA’s, then why didn’t Modi govt buy 126 aircraft instead of 36.
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former defence minister A.K. Antony Tuesday said the Modi government’s Rafale deal “has more skeletons in its closet” and demanded a joint parliamentary probe (JPC) be set up “to bring the truth out in the open”.
Antony’s rebuttal came four days after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman alleged that “an unprecedented intervention in 2013” by Antony had “put the final nail in the coffin” when the cost negotiation committee was at the final stages of the Rafale deal.
She had also alleged that the UPA’s deal had collapsed as the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was incapable of manufacturing 108 aircraft in India, adding that the resources were not pumped into HAL by the then government to strengthen the company.
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Terming these allegations as “false claims”, Antony called for the publication of “the Congress-UPA’s deal of 126 aircraft and the price of Modi government’s 36 Rafale deals”.
Responding to claims that the current deal was cheaper than UPA’s proposal, Antony said, “Let us assume for a moment that all these claims about cheaper deal are true, then why didn’t PM Modi purchase 126 Rafale aircraft, instead of 36 jets?”
Antony tried to clear the air by saying that when the proposal was sent to the finance ministry, it had raised objections to the ‘life cycle cost concept’.
“The Congress-led UPA government also received objections and reservations in writing from various leaders, including a senior BJP MP, about the ‘life cycle cost calculation’,” he said.
“When the Indian Air Force was insisting on finalising the deal, I directed that the negotiations be continued, but take it to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), only after disputes are settled,” Antony said.
The former defence minister maintained that HAL had attained the status of a Navratna company in 2007 and it “is the only aerospace manufacturing company that can indigenously manufacture fighter aircraft in India”.
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“It is unfortunate that the defence minister (Sitharaman) of the country is trying to tarnish the image of such a nationally and internationally reputed public sector undertaking. We do not know what her intention is,” Antony said.
“If HAL does not have the required capability, please let us know which company in India has the capability to manufacture fighter aircraft?” he asked.
During the UPA era, HAL was a profit-making company with ample cash reserves, he said.
“We don’t know what her motivation in saying that is. In fact, it is the first time in history that under Modi government, HAL had to take a loan of Rs 1,000 crore from various banks to sustain its finances,” Antony claimed.
A K Anthony must be put through a narco test. His dubious role as the Defence Minister and all his previous shady dealings need to be brought to light.
Surprising you are aware of shady dealings and the Govt is not . Please make it public so that all of us and the Govt would come to know.
Mr.Antony must have forgotten his calculator. Anyway he was not good in his arithmetic during his school days.
it. Seems that you have understood the calculations, please also enlighten me.