Demand Immediate Forensic Audit of Rafale Deal: Yashwant Sinha

Launching an attack on the BJP, Yashwant Sinha raised questions over the Rafale deal while addressing the media.

Yashwant Sinha attacks BJP over Rafale deal. 

(Photo: ANI screengrab)

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Launching an attack on BJP, Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha raised hard-hitting questions over the Rafale deal while addressing the media on 29 August 2018.

He said an immediate forensic audit of the deal by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is the need of the hour.

I had suggested that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) should immediately do a forensic audit of this deal. It means that they would do the audit and bring out if there was any criminal intent or negligence. I am emphasising this point because the Congress party is demanding that there should be a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). A JPC is always  headed by a member of the ruling party, so clearly a member of the ruling party will chair the committee and we have known what happens if the chairman is not interested in finding the truth. We saw this in 2G and in Bofors, when Mr Shankaranand was the chairman of the JPC. There is just no use for this demand that there should be JPC. Instead, we should demand a forensic audit which must be completed by 31 December.

Yashwant Sinha, Former Finance Minister

Addressing the secrecy over the Rafale deal, Sinha said that, “the government says these are all top secret, there are specific India add-ons, therefore we can’t disclose this because this is sensitive information. Ask any strategic expert and they will tell you what are the equipment or additions that India has demanded in each aircraft. So there is no secrecy. But for the government of India all this is secret.”

Sinha also asked Indians to judge the arithmetic behind the deal, stating that the initial agreement was to acquire 126 Rafale jets for Rs 90,000 crore, while the new agreement will procure 36 jets for Rs 60,000 crore.

In relation to the government ordering 36 aircraft, he also said:

Why the magic number of 36?  Because a squadron in our Air Force would normally consist of about 20 aircraft, out of which 25 percent or about 4 would always be on ground for servicing, repairs etc and 16 would be in a ready-to-fly condition at any given point. Now why 36? If 8 aircraft are grounded, that will mean 28, which is not even two squadrons.  So I can’t make out the justification for this 36 number.   

Yashwant Sinha, Former Finance Minister