The arguments over the Rafale Deal have once again been raging since the beginning of this year with the Congress and some other oppositions parties questioning its credibility. Backed by the ‘mahagathbandhan‘ (grand coalition), they are doing this even after the the Supreme Court rejected all PILs (Public Interest Litigation), and ahead of General Election. Even after the Parliament discussion over Rafale on January 4, the opposition is stubborn and still raises the issue. Sticking with their preliminary perspective, they are mostly beating around the bush. Despite knowing the poor situation of the Air Force, they are still pressuring the government over corruption charges.
The main argument given by the Congress is regarding the prices of Rafale which, as per them, rose from ₹520 crore to ₹1,600 crore. They also continue to question the procedure of the deal. Another set of arguments involves change in the manufacture company from Hal to Anil Ambani’s Dassault Reliance Aerospace. Also referring to an audio clip, they argue that Manohar Parrikar has Rafale papers in his home. The Congress was furious over the reduction in the number of aircraft from 126 to 36 jets as well. They called it “one of the biggest failures” to Make in India. Last year, a PIL has been filed regarding overpaying in Rafale and also promoting crony capitalism.
In its December 12 judgement on the Rafale deal, the Supreme Court also added that our country can’t be underprepared and the perception of individuals can’t be the basis of roving enquiries. Moreover, they never looked into the pricing of the deal which was continuously being dragged out by the opposition. It gave a clean chit for government to continue proceeding with the deal. The verdict argues that the petitions rely on incorrect claims made in an unsigned note, and also in the absence of a Comptroller-Auditor General report on Rafale.
All the arguments were left in the ash after the parliament discussion on January 4, in which the defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, answered every question raised by the opposition, and also questioned them regarding the national risks of stalling the deal. She argued that the offset contract was set by the UPA, and the current government can’t dictate which company fulfills the obligation. She even revealed that the prices of the aircraft was ₹670 crore, which was 9% less than the price it would have been under Congress rule. She expressed her disappointment when the opposition stated that the ruling party was misleading the Supreme Court. She further explained the deal comprises of very unique spares and machinery. Also, 30% of the offset clause was to be spent by France in India’s aeronautics-related researches programmes. This already signifies the deal’s importance.
“We can change our friends but not our neighbours,” the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said. The opposition must not play around with national security just to gain political attention. The Indian Air Force is already making technology advancement and the Rafale deal must be implemented at the earliest. The Supreme court decision must be respected, rather than questioned, in a publicity stunt.