Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Wednesday said the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister had failed to give any convincing answers on the questions posed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Rafale issue.
Speaking to reporters here on his maiden visit to Cuddalore after assuming charge, he said Mr. Gandhi had posed several questions to Mr. Modi on the increase in the price of the aircraft, claims about objections raised by the Defence Ministry on the Rafale deal. Instead of giving straight replies, Mr. Modi had been diverting the issue in an attempt to escape from answering in Parliament.
Reiterating the party’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal, Mr. Alagiri said that constitution of a JPC alone would bring to light all the facts and particulars relating to the fighter jet deal.
The JPC would have representatives from all political parties, and would go in depth into the modalities adopted in the finalisation of the jets. Although 128 fighter aircraft were needed, only 36 were finalised and Mr. Modi was trying to hush up all the details by taking a negative stand on the plea for a JPC.
Farm loans
On waiver of farm loans, he said the Prime Minister had taken the stand at a meeting in Tirupur that waiver of farm loans would not be a solution. But he had not come out with any alternative solution to mitigate the sufferings of farmers.
He took strong exception to the proposed move of NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) to acquire lands for its Mines III project.
“We are not against development. But such projects would only damage the already delicate environment in Cuddalore district. Gases released by polluting units in the SIPCOT industrial estate had already severely affected the air quality in the district and NLCIL should abandon its expansion project,” he said.
