A Dassault official on Wednesday, 14 November, lashed out at journalists on Twitter for questioning the aviation firm’s denial over allegations against the Rafale deal.
Dassault India Representative Venkata Rao Posina tweeted angrily to journalists when asked about CEO Eric Trappier’s claim that the company had chosen Reliance as an offset partner without any external interference.
Posina wrote to India Today journalist Seemi Pasha:
If you have proof, (then you can) argue. Don’t talk s*** about our company. We are not going (to) take s*** anymore.Venkata Rao Posina
Posina accused another journalist Rohini Singh, of being a Congress supporter after she said that the only people happy with demonetisation were Dassault employees.
In another tweet, he hinted at journalists taking bribes.
Journalist Swati Chaturvedi, who recently won the Press Freedom Award for Courage, called out Posina for his comments and asked him why he was taking a political stand on the matter.
To this, his responded, saying he had “seen her (Chaturvedi) supporting Congress many a time.”
This isn’t the first time Posina has stirred controversy. In 2011, Posina was accused of paying a Rs 20,000 bribe to Indian Air Force officer Alok Kumar Thakur, who was responsible for assigning exhibit space to vendors at the annual air show, Aero India, The Deccan Herald reported.
Wing Commander Thakur was court-martialled in 2013 and Posina was banned from entering the IAF Headquarters in New Delhi, according to a report by the StratPost.
On Tuesday, 13 November, Trappier had denied Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that Dassault had invested Rs 284 crore in a loss-making company promoted by Anil Ambani, which was allegedly used to procure land in Nagpur. When asked about the accusations, the Dassault CEO said, “I don’t lie.”
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into Rafale deal.
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