NEW DELHI: Training guns on the Prime Minister over the Rafale fighter jets deal, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi again called Narendra Modi a “corrupt person” and questioned his silence.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

“The PM of India is a corrupt person. He awarded Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. There is a clear-cut case against the PM,” said Rahul while addressing a press meet in the national capital.


Rahul's comments came after French news website Mediapart leaked a new company document of Dassault Aviation, where a senior company executive is quoted as saying that it was “imperative and obligatory” for the company to agree to work with Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence in order to procure the contract to produce 36 Rafale jets for India.


“Earlier former French President revealed that Indian PM had told them that Reliance should get a deal. Now a senior official of Rafale has said the same. It is a clear-cut case of corruption,” said Rahul. 


“Why has suddenly Defence Minister rushed to France to Rafale's plant? What is the emergency?” he questioned, adding that it is a clear signal that a huge cover-up is going on and the media is being pressurised to not report on this.


Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday evening left for France on a three-day visit that would see her visiting the Dassault Aviation production plant that manufactures Rafale fighter jets besides other engagements.


"Dassault is sitting on a huge contract. Dassault will say what the Indian govt wants it to say. Their internal document clearly stated that PM has said without this compensation the deal will not be done: Congress President Rahul Gandhi," added Rahul.


Reacting to the investigative report of Mediapart on Rafale deal, Dassault Aviation released a statement saying that the company had freely chosen to make a partnership with the Reliance Group.


The joint-venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), was created on February 10, 2017.