Amid fresh reports which claim that buying 36 Rafale aircrafts instead of 126 led to hike in price of each jet, voices from the Opposition have questioned the government’s rationale behind the decision.
Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday, 18 January, accused the government of compromising national security and asked why did it buy only 36 jets instead of the 126 required by the Air Force, news agency PTI reported.
His comments came in the wake of a report by The Hindu which claimed that the price of each jet went up by 41.42 percent, in the new deal.
"The Government has compromised national security by denying to the Air Force the 7 squadrons (126 aircraft) that it desperately needs," he said.
"In the light of new facts and revelations in THE HINDU, the question gains greater urgency: why did the government buy only 36 Rafale aircraft instead of 126 aircraft required by the Air Force?" Chidambaram asked in a tweet.
Later, speaking at a press conference, Chidambaram said that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should be constituted on the matter and asked to place its report by end of March.
“This issue is not amenable to judicial decision making and only a parliamentary committee can decide on the matter,” Chidambaram said.
He also alleged that the procurement procedure was rushed through and vital objections were overlooked. He also said that the choice of offset partner in the deal is questionable.
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia also took to Twitter to demand answers from Modi on the increased cost of aircraft.
"The PM's unilateral decision to buy 36 Rafales resulted in a price escalation of 41.42% per jet. When will the prime minister answer?" he asked.
CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury also attacked the government in a series of tweets.
“Modi's sudden announcement in Paris, to buy only 36 Rafale jets, not 126 that the Air Force wanted, violated all procedure. But it also compromised India's national security and increased the price by 41%,” Yechury said in a tweet, attributing the decision as the reason why PM Modi “ has been running scared of sharing details”.
In a couple of other tweets, Yechury reiterated the demand of a JPC probe into the Rafale deal.
He also alleged that the deal has been made for the benefit of Modis’ “crony businessmen”.
(With inputs from PTI)
(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.)