(NDTV)
France has categorically rejected allegations made by the Congress party that the Narendra Modi government has negotiated an overpriced deal with French company Dassault to supply the Indian Air Force with 36 state-of-the-art Rafale fighter jets, while the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence Limited has threatened to sue the opposition party if it does not retract its charge that it was unfairly picked to be the French firm’s Indian partner.
“This fighter jet has been selected for its outstanding performance and competitive price. It was selected through a fully transparent and competitive process,” French diplomatic sources said, on Wednesday, describing the Congress allegations as “a domestic political matter” that they would not like to enter.
The Congress has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has caused an “insurmountable loss” of taxpayers’ money in signing the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft from France for Rs. 58,000 crores (7.8 billion Euros). The opposition party alleged on Tuesday that the cost of each aircraft is three times more than what the previous UPA government it led had negotiated with France in 2012.The Congress has also asked why the government “promoted the interests of one industrial group, i.e Reliance Defence Limited, which has led to the company tying up and entering into a joint venture with Dassault Aviation worth Rs. 30,000 crores?”
