News Analysis India

Tag: Dassault

  • Government has no option but to order joint parliamentary committee probe into Rafale deal: Congress

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday asserted that the government has no option but to order a JPC probe into the allegations of corruption in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence even 48 hours after an investigation in France was ordered into the deal.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said truth cannot be silenced while former defence minister AK Antony said the the Modi government cannot escape accountability by keeping mum and alleged that it points towards a “mal-intent to hush up” alleged corruption in the deal. “Truth can’t be silenced.Unlike ‘Modia’,” Gandhi tweeted, using the hashtag “RafaleScam”.

    Truth can’t be silenced. Unlike ‘Modia’.#RafaleScam pic.twitter.com/LPuSvyhlKQ
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 5, 2021

    He also shared a video of a journalist of French media firm Mediapart who claimed that the then French president Francois Hollande had said that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani’s Reliance group as a partner of Dassault in the deal.

    Antony alleged that “prima facie corruption in the Rafale deal is now apparent”, as the French Public Prosecution Services has now appointed a judge to investigate “corruption, influence peddling and brazen favouritism” in the 36-aircraft Rafale deal.

    “The intriguing silence of the Modi Government points towards mal-intent to hush up the corruption. The refusal of the BJP Government to probe and punish the guilty is even more astonishing, pointing towards a concerted effort to bury the scam,” the former defence minister said.

    He said the series of events and documents in public records have now affirmed the stance of the Congress party about “wrongdoing and corruption” in the Rafale deal. “What is, indeed, mysterious is the fact that despite 48 hours having lapsed, the prime minister and the defence minister have decided to maintain complete silence on the ordering of corruption investigation into Rafale deal by the French Public Prosecution Services” he added.

    “The simple question is why has the government chosen to remain ‘mum’? Why have the prime minister and the defence minister not come forward to react to the shocking and sensational development of a corruption probe in the Rafale deal by the Public Prosecution Services of France? “Can Modi Government escape accountability for corruption allegations by its intriguing silence? Is it not the responsibility of the Government to come forward and accept the truth,” Antony asked.

    The senior Congress leader said this is even more important as 36 aircraft are being purchased by India under an inter-governmental agreement and one party to the agreement – the French government has proceeded to order an investigation through a judge. “The only way forward is to accept accountability and order a free and fair JPC probe into the entire set of facts, evidence and allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal,” he said.

    Antony alleged that Prime Minister Modi went to Paris on April 10, 2015 and unilaterally announced the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft “without going through any tender process and in complete derogation of the ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’”.

    He claimed that every defence expert was shocked by this unilateral order which is India’s biggest defence deal. “It was even more surprising because there was an ongoing negotiation for the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft in pursuance of an international tender, which envisaged 108 aircraft to be made in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and 18 aircraft to be purchased in fly-away condition,” he said.

    He said this international tender for 126 aircraft also envisaged the all-important ‘transfer of technology’ to India, but till today neither the prime minister nor the BJP government has explained the reason for reducing the number of aircraft from 126 to 36 or the reason for sacrificing the transfer of technology to India.

    The BJP government has also not explained the basis or the reason for enhancing the price of the 36 aircraft or for denying the offset contract to the government’s PSU, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, he said.

    The BJP government has also not stated the reason for the fact that when the clearance from ‘Defence Acquisition Council’ had been given and there was an ongoing tender for which negotiations were being finalised, how could the prime minister and the government unilaterally enter into another agreement, the senior Congres leader said.

    The opposition Congress has been alleging “wrongdoing” in the defence deal and had raised it as one of the main issues to target Modi during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    It has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe and is now set to escalate its attack on the government by raising the issue during the Monsoon session of Parliament from July 19. The government has denied allegations of corruption in the deal.

    The BJP had on Sunday hit out at the Congress for again raising questions over the Rafale deal and sought to know why its government did not procure the fighter planes for 10 years despite a depleted squadron strength of the Indian Air Force. “Is it because the Gandhi family did not get their desired ‘commission’?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said.

  • SC to hear fresh plea on alleged corruption charges over Rafale jets deal

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a fresh plea over the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal following fresh charges of the payment of 1.1 million Euros by aviation major Dassault to an Indian middleman. 

    The plea by advocate M L Sharma sought an independent probe and the matter will be heard by the apex court after two weeks.

    The petitioner said the agreement to procure 36 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation was an outcome of corruption and was in violation of Articles 13 (laws inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) and 253 (legislation for giving effect to international agreements) of the Constitution.

    Citing an investigation by the country’s anti-corruption agency French news agency Mediapart, reported that Dassault Aviation had paid about 1 million Euros to an Indian company called Defsys Solutions for 50 models of the aircraft which were to be given as gifts.

    Defsys, one of the subcontractors of Dassault in India, denied the allegations that they were totally unfounded.

    Sushen Gupta, who runs Defsys Solutions, is being investigated in the Agusta-Westland helicopter scam. He was earlier arrested and granted bail in the case.

    “Due to political pressure, prosecution upon AFA’s (Agence Française Anticorruption) report has been suspended/stayed. It is a serious offence under [Official] Secrets Act, 1923, injuries financial and defence to the country. It has violated Articles 21 and 13 of the Constitution of India,” the petition stated. 

  • Congress rakes up Rafale after French media claims 1.1 mn Euros was paid to ‘middleman’ by Dassault

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress Monday sought a thorough probe in the Rafale defence deal and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a French media report claimed that 1.1 million was paid to a “middleman” by the aircraft manufacturer.

    Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told a press conference here that the French news portal’s report has proved that Rahul Gandhi’s oft-repeated allegations of corruption in the deal were correct.

    While there was no immediate response from the BJP or the government on the charges, they have in the past denied any irregularities in the country’s biggest defence deal.

    Surjewala said as per the French portal’s report, an investigation conducted by the ‘French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA)’ has revealed that after signing of the deal in 2016, Rafale’s manufacturer Dassault allegedly paid 1.1 million to a middleman — Defsys Solutions — which is an Indian company.

    “Does it now not require a full and independent investigation into India’s biggest defence deal to find out as to how much bribery and commission in reality, if any, was paid and to whom in the Indian government,” he asked at a press conference.

    “Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi answer to the nation now?” he asked.

    Surjewala said this amount was shown as expenditure by Dassault as “gifts to clients”.

    The Congress leader said that the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) as also the stated Indian government policy envisage there will be an “Integrity Clause” in every defence purchase contract which clearly states that there can be no middleman or payment of commission or bribe.

    Surjewala said that as per the DPP, any evidence of middleman or commission or bribery has serious penal consequences including the banning of the supplier, cancellation of contract, registration of an FIR and imposition of heavy financial penalties on the company.

    “Has it not vitiated the Rafale deal entailing imposition of heavy financial penalties on Dassault, banning of the company, registration of an FIR and other penal consequences,” he asked.

    He asked whether the payment of ‘1.1 million shown by Dassault as ‘Gifts to Clients’ in reality a commission paid to the middleman for the Rafale deal.

    “How can ‘middleman’ and ‘Payment of Commission’ be permitted in a ‘government-to-government Defence Contract’ or in any Defence procurement in India in violation of the mandatory Defence Procurement Procedure,” he asked.

  • India to reach 3-4 Rafale from France amid tension from China, will deploy in first week of November

    Amid tensions in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Air Force will soon receive a second consignment of Rafale fighter jets. The second fleet consignment of Rafale fighter jets to the Indian Air Force is going to reach Ambala airbase in the first week of November.

    This will be the second batch of fighter jets of French origin, as the first batch of 28 Rafals arrived in India on 28 July was officially inducted by the Narendra Modi government on 10 September.

    Government sources said that the second batch of 3-4 Rafale fighter jets from France will reach India by the first week of November, preparations are underway for their arrival. He said, with the induction of these aircraft, the Air Force will comprise 8-9 Rafale fighter aircraft which will be fully ready for use in a few days in view of the present tension.

    Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) Air Vice Marshal N. A team of Air Force led by Tiwari is currently in France. This team is reviewing the preparations to send the second consignment of Rafale fighter jets to India, training of selected pilots to put the necessary combat equipment on them. By March 2021 in France, Indian pilots will take training to fly Rafale in a phased manner.

    The Air Force will deploy one squadron on each of its Rafale fighter jets at Hashimara in West Bengal at Ambala in Haryana. In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government, Dassault Aviation, to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets worth more than 7.8 billion euros to meet the immediate requirements on the eastern western fronts to prevent the downfall of fighter squadrons. 

  • Rafale in India: Indian Ambassador thanks French Government and Dassault for Rafale jet

    Merignac (France): Indian Ambassador to France, Javed Ashraf, on Monday thanked the French government and Dassault Aviation for the timely delivery of five Rafale fighter jets. Let me tell you that shortly before, Marignac Air Base Rafale aircraft in southwest France have left for India. Flagging off the fighter aircraft, the Indian Ambassador said, “Our Air Force pilots tell us that these are extremely fast, agile, versatile and very deadly aircraft. You can call them both ‘Beauty and Beast’. These are great flying machines. Flown by the world’s best pilots. We would like to thank Dassault for delivering the aircraft on time. We also want to thank the French Government and the France Air Force for all the support they have given. ‘

    He said, ‘This is going to add great power to our air power and defense preparedness. It also signifies a powerful strategic partnership between India and France. The Ambassador also held talks with the Indian crew who brought the aircraft to India, bringing 17 Golden Arrows Commanding Officer pilots to Rafale planes from France. All pilots have been trained by the French Dassault Aviation Company.

    The ambassador said that he is about to take a long flight. It is a notable symbol of their professionalism, endurance and skills that they have acquired during training that they will reach there with only one stop for India. We wish him a pleasant journey to India and a safe landing. Explain that these planes, which have left from France, will be landed at an airbase in the United Arab Emirates and will be fueled by the tanker aircraft of France. After this, the aircraft will travel further to Ambala Airbase. The Air Force will be inducted on July 29 at Ambala’s Airforce station.