Rejecting allegations of the Congress on the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France, a senior Embassy official on Wednesday said the accusations were driven by politics.
“This is a domestic political matter. This omni-role fighter jet has been selected for its outstanding performance and competitive price. It has been selected through a fully transparent and competitive process fully compliant with the rules and regulations of this country,” the official said.
The official said the 50% offset clause in the deal which was being executed by French companies “will help in the development of the defence industry in India in a big way.”
Congress sees scam
On Tuesday, Randeep Surjewala of the Congress alleged a “huge scam” in the Rafale deal and accused the Modi government of “promoting the interests of Prime Minister’s crony capitalist friends.”
Stating that some facts were being floated in the air, the official said, “Just check the facts.”
Maintenance covered
In September 2016, India and France signed a €7.87-billion deal for 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition and scheduled to be delivered between 2019 and 2022. The deal includes aircraft, spares, weapons, maintenance and performance guarantee for five years.
France is expected to make a strong pitch for the sale of additional Rafale jets during the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to India later this week.
