Urban Mirror Correspondent
New Delhi, September 19: The Lok Gathbandhan Party today said if the NDA government has not committed any irregularity in the Rafale fighter deal why it is shying away from the impartial investigation in the matter. The LGP said since the controversial deal has become highly suspicious in the eyes of the people, it is the duty of the NDA government to convincingly explain the situation to the people.
Referring to the statement of the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the charges of the Opposition, the spokesman of the LGP said here on Wednesday that instead of resorting to charges and counter charges to scuttle the issue, the NDA government should come out clean in the matter, as the way the previous contract was scrapped to pave way for the new deal with the inclusion of a corporate house at the cost of HAL, the people of the country have all the right to know the facts. The spokesman said the issue of vital national interest cannot be brushed aside just by turning it into a political issue. The spokesman said an honest and transparent investigation is necessary to expose both the UPA and NDA governments.
The spokesman said if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA, why did the NDA not buy 126 aircraft instead of just 36. The spokesman said investigation is necessary as there is a growing perception that the deal has more skeletons in its closet. The spokesman said the statement of the defence minister is unsustainable as there is no convincing reply to the charge as to why a corporate house was given preference over HAL in the deal. The LGP said it is intriguing that instead of reposing faith in time-tested public sector HAL, the NDA government has banked on a newly floated defense company. The spokesman said corruption cannot be hushed up in the name of security and national interest. The spokesman said when earlier defence deals like Bofors, Augusta helicopters and others could be publicly scrutinised then why not the Rafale contract. The spokesman said that Rafale deal is smacked of all the ingredients of major financial scandal like three-decade old Bofors Howitzer gun and other similar deals of infamous Congress era.
