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Rafale needed to enhance Indian Air Force capabilities, says VK Singh
he Bofors scandal, first hit the headlines during 1990s after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress of receiving kickbacks from the deal.
VK Singh, Union minister of state for external affairs, on Wednesday, while justifying the Rafale aircraft deal currently under scanner following allegations of overpricing, cronyism and abuse of authority, stated that the Congress wants to turn the Rafale deal into a Bofors scandal. The Bofors scandal, first hit the headlines during 1990s after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress of receiving kickbacks from the deal.
The minister defended the Rafale deal saying that the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France was necessary to enhance the Indian Air Force’s capabilities.
The minister, who was in the city to launch BJP’s ‘Bharat ke mann ki baat, Modi ke sath’ campaign, said that the allegations against the Narendra Modi government of bypassing norms to benefit Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence is uncalled for. “Ambani’s company received an offset contract. Such contract decisions are taken by the supplying company and not the government.”
“It is better that I remain silent. Else, those accusing the BJP government will not be able to face the public,” said Singh.
The minister also questioned the capabilities of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a defence public sector undertaking (PSU). HAL was initially supposed to be awarded the Rafale contract during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s era in 2012, however, the deal did not come through.
He stated that HAL’s performance over the years has not been satisfactory. “We have witnessed two pilot deaths of late, who were flying aircraft manufactured by HAL. The manufacturing of aircraft by HAL is three-and-a-half years behind schedule and parts of some aircraft are not up to the mark,” said Singh, while questioning HAL’s capability.
The minister was referring to the death of two pilots in a crash of Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft in Bengaluru on February 1. The aircraft was on an “acceptance sortie” after an upgrade by the HAL.
