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‘Vindicated,’ says Congress over probe into Rafale deal in France
Randeep Surjewala, the Congress’s chief spokesperson, said PM Modi must “submit” its government to a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
The Congress on Saturday claimed it has been vindicated after French online journal Mediapart reported that a judge in France will probe into suspected “corruption and favouritism” in the ₹59,000 crore Rafale deal with India for 36 fighter jets.
Randeep Surjewala, the Congress’s chief spokesperson, cited the latest development and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must “submit” its government to a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Congress has made this demand earlier as well.
Surjewala described the development as “a scandalous expose of Rafale scam” that has led to “loss to public exchequer”. “The French have ordered an investigation into the Rafale deal for corruption and influence peddling. The sweetheart deal is now exposed. It calls for a thorough JPC probe. Will the PM (Prime Minister) answer to the nation and when will the government submit to a JPC probe?” he asked.
Surjewala maintained that it is not a Congress versus Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issue, but a matter related to national security.
Mediapart reported the “highly sensitive probe into the inter-governmental deal signed in 2016 was formally opened on June 14”. It said the development was confirmed by the Financial Crimes Branch of the French Public Prosecution Services on Friday.
The French website carried a series of reports on alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal in April.
In one of the reports, Mediapart claimed that the former head of the Financial Crimes Branch, Éliane Houlette, shelved an investigation into alleged evidence of corruption in the Rafale jet deal despite the objection of colleagues. It said Houlette justified her decision saying it was made to preserve “the interests of France, the workings of institutions.”
“Now, her successor as head of the PNF, Jean-François Bohnert, has decided to support the opening of a probe, after the complaint was updated with details from Mediapart’s recent series of investigations,” Mediapart’s latest report said.
The criminal investigation, Mediapart said, will “examine questions surrounding the actions” of former French president François Hollande, who was in office when the Rafale deal was inked, his successor, Emmanuel Macron, the then economy and finance minister, and foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who held the defence portfolio then.
India ordered Rafale jets in September 2016 as an emergency purchase through a government-to-government deal. The deal became controversial. The Opposition, led by the Congress, has claimed the price at which India was buying Rafale aircraft now is ₹1,670 crore for each, three times the initial bid of ₹526 crore by the company when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was trying to buy the aircraft. It has also claimed the previous deal included a technology transfer agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The government has not disclosed details of the price. It has said the deal struck by the UPA in 2012 was not a viable one, implying that it would have never been closed and that, therefore, any comparison is moot. The UPA was unable to close the deal till 2014, largely over discussions related to the pricing of items not included in the initial bid.
There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP.
