In the wake the Rafale controversy, Congress president Rahul Gandhi interacted with some present and former employees of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. on Saturday and spelled out party’s strategy ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He later spoke to reporters.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has raised questions on the capability of the 78-year-old HAL to manufacture front-line jet fighters? What is your response?
HAL for me is not just a company. It has manufactured a variety of defence aircraft in the past 70 years. HAL is a strategic asset for aerospace. The country owes a debt to HAL and its employees for protecting us, for creating a scientific atmosphere and scientific vision. Former United States president Barack Obama said the only countries that can challenge the U.S. in the future are India and China. The one reason Mr. Obama said that is the work you have done. The Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence Ltd., which is part of the Rafale deal, has neither experience nor capability. HAL has both experience and capability.
The BJP has been asking why the Congress forgot HAL during its rule.
HAL was very much part of the contract with the United Progressive Alliance. The question is not what happened during the Congress rule. The question is why ₹30,000 crore is being given to Anil Ambani when HAL employees have given their life to the country. With all their experience, why have the orders been taken away from them? Why is HAL being destroyed to help Mr. Ambani?
The Defence Minister has been saying the government has not proposed name of Anil Ambani or any other company from India in the Rafale deal. Your comments?
The Defence Minister is lying. The ex-President of France clearly says that the Government of India told him to give the contract to HAL. Now, through internal documents of Dassault, it has come out that Dassault was told that if they wanted the contract, they had to go to Anil Ambani. The youth of Bengaluru, please remember that the Prime Minister has given ₹30,000 crore to Mr. Anil Ambani. I am saying corruption has taken place... HAL’s future is being destroyed, the defence of India being destroyed, the future of the country is being destroyed.
How do you and your party plan to take forward this issue ahead of 2019?
The Defence Minister has rushed to France for a cover-up. But it is not possible to cover this up because the truth is coming out. Dood ka dood, pani ka pani honewala hai. We will fight this in every street of India, we stand with HAL and fight this, we will stand with the air force and fight this, we stand with every single person who is protecting India.
I would like to tell all the youth of this country that this contract being given to Mr. Ambani has cost thousands of superb high-quality engineering jobs.
