Gajendra Shekhawat says Gandhis wanted deal for Robert Vadra’s friend. Sitharaman to travel across country to counter Congress ‘propaganda’.
New Delhi: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Monday alleged that an “international conspiracy” to weaken the Indian Air Force and the Narendra Modi government was behind the allegations surrounding the Rafale fighter jet deal, even as Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she will travel across the country to counter the Congress’ “propaganda”.
Shekhawat, the minister of state for agriculture, alleged that the ‘conspiracy’ had its genesis in Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s foreign tours.
“There is an international conspiracy to overthrow the Modi government. There is a conspiracy by the Congress to cancel the Rafale deal in an indirect manner.”
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Shekhawat further accused the Opposition of risking internal security by “putting out details of defence equipment”.
His charges came on a day that a Congress delegation met the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) to submit a memorandum, while demanding the registration of a corruption case in the deal.
Shekhawat’s allegations also come on the back of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley suggesting that Gandhi may have a role in the current Rafale controversy.
On Sunday, Jaitley alleged that there was a correlation between a tweet by Gandhi on 30 August, about Rafale dropping some big bunker bombs in a couple of weeks, to former French president Francois Hollande claiming that he had no role in deciding Dassault’s offset partner.
“Yeh jo jugalbandi hai, mere pass sabot nahi hai, lekin mann mein prashan khada hota hai (I don’t have evidence for this but it certainly raise a doubt),” Jaitley had told ANI.
Minister drags in Vadra
Shekhawat also alleged that UPA did not formalise the Rafale deal as the Gandhis wanted the deal to go to Robert Vadra’s company, Offset India Solutions, formed in 2008. He alleged that Sanjay Bhandari, Vadra’s friend, sought to get the deal for the company.
He also said that the Rafale controversy “was manufactured by the Congress” to show Dassault its place as it refused to entertain Vadra’s company as part of the deal.
“There is conscious effort to send a message to foreign defence dealers that if they can put pressure on them while they are out of power, imagine what they can do when they are in power,” Shekhawat said.
Shortly before Shekhawat’s press conference, Sitharaman too said there were “international dimensions” to the controversy and added that she would counter each and every allegation with facts.
Also read: Rafale row gets nasty as Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi ‘a thief’
Top government sources told ThePrint that the offset rules, at the centre of the controversy, have been the same since 2006 and only minor changes have been made over the years. Sources also said that the first aircraft will come to India in September 2019 and that country will get 36 of the jets between 2019 and 2022.
“The CAG, CVC is looking at it. What more transparent way is there to audit the deal,” said the sources.
I mean how dumb we indians are you BJP people think ? I know bollywood thinks so and serves us most pathetic movies year after year. U are much ahead in this race. All the best.
Oh my God! Aise log BJP mein minister hain kya!!
Sir, Aise hi log hain BJP. The samples are in the top leadership team. They keep repeating the same lies and the same meaningless dialogues day in and day out. Even when they are formally educated, their statements rarely reflect that they think or education or civility has ever touched them. It is bit harsh for me to say this, but unfortunately, they are providing increasing evidence to confirm this hypothesis.
Sir, I don’t believe you at all. Our beloved PM has been hugging so many world leaders so often at the cost of poor Indian people. How there ever be conspiracy. He is such a great man. God’s own man sent to India to save us from all the evil. Please check your facts. Otherwise, you telling us that Mr Modi has only wasted our money on his foreign trips. In addition to 4000 crore on publicity in India. I don’t believe you at all. Mr Modi is a great man and the foreigners have recognised that. They love him – see they will bring money at 68 (UPA) and took back at 60 (NDA). They will bring at 72.5 and take it out at 35 during the next term. How can they not love him. He helping them get rich at India’s cost. Our banks pay us 6.5% (we don’t if they will pay our money back or not) and foreigners put money in GOI Securities @ 8.0%. How can they so ungrateful. Please check your source and then make these statements. All foreigners love Mr Modi and they hate Congress.