Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk:Rejecting the Opposition’s allegations of a “scam” in the Rafale deal, the government on Wednesday said the deal of 36 Rafale fighter jets with France secured by the BJP-led NDA government was much better than that negotiated by the previous UPA government during its tenure.
“Unfounded allegations are being made regarding the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to procure 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition from France. This would normally not have merited a response but for the serious damage being caused by the misleading statements, sought to be repeatedly perpetrated on a serious matter of national security,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The ministry said the demand that the government discloses the details and value of the contract for the Rafale aircraft contracted in 2016 is unrealistic.
“The approximate acquisition cost of the Rafale aircraft has already been provided to the Parliament. Provision of exact item-wise cost and other information will reveal, inter alia, details regarding the various customizations and weapons systems specially designed to augment the effectiveness and lethality of the assets, impact our military preparedness and compromise our national security. Such details would also come under the ambit of the security agreement signed in 2008,” it said.
