Defence ministry Rafale billet rocks Modi govt

​New Delhi: The Modi government was on Friday rocked by a 2015 Defence Ministry note cited in a media report expressing strong objections to the "parallel" negotiations by the PMO in the controversial Rafale jet deal and came under fresh attack from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Stepping up his offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi demanded answers to questions raised in the media report, saying it is now “crystal clear” that the "watchman" is the "thief", an apparent reference to Modi's alleged cronyism in the Rafale deal.

Gandhi's offensive drew a counter-attack from Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who dismissed the report in 'The Hindu' newspaper on the internal note in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dated November 24, 2015 as "flogging a dead horse" and alleged that the opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests.

As the MoD note led to a ruckus in the Lok Sabha and sparked a fresh confrontation between opposition parties led by the Congress and the Centre, Sitharaman also maintained that "periodical enquiries" by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) cannot be construed as interference." Sitharaman, who spoke to reporters, criticised the news report for raising issues "selectively" and ignoring the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar's reply to file notings of officials.

She said Parrikar had made a note asking officials to remain "calm" as everything was "alright". Parrikar's handwritten remarks at the bottom of the note said "it appears that PMO and French President's Office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting (between Modi and French President Francois Hollande in April 2015)". Para 5, which referred to "parallel discussions" by the PMO, "appears to be an over-reaction", the minister wrote, adding Defence Secretary may resolve the matter in consultation with Principal Secretary to PM.

Gandhi declared at a news conference that the Rafale deal was an "open and shut" case, citing the report claiming the Defence ministry raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France.
BJP termed Rahul’s allegations as another "lie from his lie manufacturing factory".

The apex court in December dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision-making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

Air Marshal SBP Sinha (retd), who was leading the Indian negotiating team for the Rafale deal, rejected the charge that the PMO was holding parallel negotiations, a view endorsed by Mohan Kumar during whose tenure the Rafale deal was signed. There were several unsettled issues that were being sorted out and sovereign guarantee was one of it, he said, adding," All the price negotiations were conducted by the (negotiating) committee."

In the Lok Sabha, members from the Congress, TMC and TDP jumped in the well shouting slogans and showing placards referring to the media report. Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress alleged that the defence ministry and the PMO were fighting on the issue and the matter has come out in the newspaper also.