Opposition parties in India on Friday targeted Narendra Modi after a French media house quoted the former French President Francois Hollande saying that the Indian government had proposed the name of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence as the offset partner for the Rafale fighter jet deal.
The comments by Hollande come after a story in the Indian Express exposed that Reliance produced film with Hollande’s partner in 2016 as deal for fighter jets was going on.
The Congress said Modi had lost all moral right to remain in office after the “bombshell” revelation.
“The PM personally negotiated & changed the #Rafale deal behind closed doors. Thanks to François Hollande, we now know he personally delivered a deal worth billions of dollars to a bankrupt Anil Ambani. The PM has betrayed India. He has dishonoured the blood of our soldiers,” Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
In a scathing tweet, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that Modi should be ashamed of himself for betraying the soul of India.
The PM and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a One Hundred & Thirty Thousand Crore, SURGICAL STRIKE on the Indian Defence forces. Modi Ji you dishonoured the blood of our martyred soldiers. Shame on you. You betrayed India’s soul. #Rafale
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 22, 2018
Modi’s fierce critic Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi in a tweet said:
By hiding crucial facts on Rafale deal, is Modi govt not endangering national security ?
Former French President’s statement directly contradicts what Modi govt had been saying so far.
Can the country be taken for a ride any further ?
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 21, 2018
The deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets from France was announced by Narendra Modi in 2015 and signed in 2016.
In another tweet, The Congress President said that Modi changed the deal and personally delivered a billion dollar deal to a bankrupt Ambani.
The PM personally negotiated & changed the #Rafale deal behind closed doors. Thanks to François Hollande, we now know he personally delivered a deal worth billions of dollars to a bankrupt Anil Ambani.
The PM has betrayed India. He has dishonoured the blood of our soldiers.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 21, 2018
The French government on Friday issued a statement, saying they were not involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners. “The French government is in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners who have been, are being, or will be selected by French companies,” the statement read.
However, the Congress on Saturday said the French statement “conceals more than it reveals”.
French statement conceals more than it reveals.French Govt.knows verbal interactions btw @fhollande & Indian Interlocutors are minuted & would emerge.Speculation of French Parlimentary hearing into Rafale & access to Admn Docs under France’s Freedom of Information Law 1978 rife. pic.twitter.com/hAU6aG9Wcj
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) September 22, 2018
The Defence Ministry of India said, “The report referring to fmr French president Mr. Hollande’s statement that GOI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. It is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision.”
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said that the PM now has no moral right to remain in office. He demanded that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also resign forthwith.
