After writing a letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi on the Rafale deal, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has now issued a ‘cease and desist’ notice to Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill.
Speaking to ABP News, Shergill said he was not scared of such notices.
I’m not scared of such notices. Tax payers of this country deserve to know why they paid extra Rs 42,000 crore.
Cong Misinformed, Misled: Anil Ambani to Rahul on Rafale Jet Deal
Ambani had earlier written to Gandhi on the ongoing Rafale jet deal, stating that his party was “misinformed, misdirected and misled” by “malicious vested interests and corporate rivals” on the issue. The letter was reportedly written earlier in August.
The younger Ambani tycoon, who had first written to Gandhi on the issue in December, again wrote saying not a single component worth a single rupee is to be manufactured by his group. He said that all 36 Rafale jets that India was buying would be manufactured from France.
Gandhi has been attacking the government for inking the deal at a much higher price than the one the previous UPA regime had negotiated. While he has accused the government of changing the deal to benefit "one businessman", his party has demanded a JPC probe into the deal.
Rahul Did Not Defame Ambani: Congress Leader
Meanwhile, reacting to Ambani’s letter, Selja Kumari, a Congress leader from Haryana, defended her party president, stating that he did not say anything that had “defamed” Ambani.
He (Gandhi) posed a question to the PM who is unable to answer and is making others answer for him. Rahul ji had levelled allegations against the government and they should answer.
The Congress, earlier last month, had released a set of papers alleging multiple violations by the government in procuring the Rafale deal.
A report by The Wire quoted Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala saying:
What is surprising is that one of the biggest defence offset contracts went to a company, Reliance Defence Ltd, which was constituted only 12 days before (March 28, 2015) the announcement of purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts by PM in France on 10th April, 2015. The company Reliance Defence Ltd. did not have the license to manufacture fighter aircrafts at that time.
‘No Contract Between Reliance Group & Centre’
“Allegations of Reliance benefiting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests,” the company statement said, quoting from Ambani's letter. “Simply put, no contract exists with the Government of India.”
Ambani in the letter expressed “deep anguish over continued personal attacks by Rahul Gandhi on him,” the statement said. He termed all allegations as “baseless, ill-informed and unfortunate.”
The businessman said his group's role is “limited to offset export obligations. More than 100 medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) will participate in this, along with public sector undertakings like BEL and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).”
“This role strengthens Indian manufacturing capabilities, and is in pursuance of the Offsets Policy introduced by the Congress-led UPA government itself from 2005 onwards,” the statement read.
He said Reliance Group announced its decision to enter the defence manufacturing sector in December 2014-January 2015, "months before the intention for the purchase of Rafale aircraft".
(With PTI inputs)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)