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Updated November 14th, 2019 at 15:20 IST

Branded 'liar' by Cong for Rafale statement, Fmr IAF Chief Dhanoa replies after SC verdict

BS Dhanoa, former chief of the Air Staff, said that he hopes the matter is now laid to rest and raking up such issues to get political gains is not right

Reported by: Jay Pandya
BS Dhanoa
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After the Supreme Court announced its verdict dismissing the Rafale review petitions and citing  against its December 14, 2018 judgment, BS Dhanoa, former chief of the Air Staff, on Wednesday said that he hopes the matter is now laid to rest as raking up such issues to get political gains by putting the interest of the armed forces behind is not right. He said, "I hope the matter is now laid to rest. Raking up such issues to get political gains, putting the interest of your armed forces behind, I think is not right."

'I think we have been vindicated'

He also welcomed the Supreme Court's decision of dismissing the review petitions challenging its verdict in the Rafale case, saying that they have been vindicated. "I think we have been vindicated," the former IAF Chief said while speaking to the news agency ANI.

"In December 2018 I had issued a statement that Supreme Court has given a fine judgment and at that time some people said that I was being political, which was incorrect," he said, recalling the time that Congress' Veerappa Moily had accused him of being a 'liar'. 

SHOCKING: After IAF chief hails Supreme Court judgement on Rafale, Congress calls him a "liar"

Rafale deal verdict

The Supreme Court rejected the plea that there was a need for registration of an FIR in connection with the Rafale deal. The five-judge bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S K Kaul, and KM Joseph pronounced the judgment. Justice Kaul, pronouncing the judgment said that the Court found "no merit" in the review petition. The Supreme Court further said, "This Court did not think it appropriate to embark on the roving and fishing enquiry." In May 2019, a three-judge bench had reserved verdict in the petition seeking review of the earlier December 14 judgment on the government-to-government deal to procure 36 Rafale aircraft. 

READ | Never politicise defence & national security: Rajnath Singh extols Rafale transparency

READ | Kiren Rijiju welcomes SC's warning to Rahul Gandhi on Rafale remarks

SC had looked into three aspects of the deal

During the Rafale hearing, the Supreme Court had looked into three aspects of the deal - the decision-making process, the pricing and the choice of the Indian offset partner. It had found no occasion to doubt the decision-making process and said it didn't find anything wrong in the selection of Indian offset partner by manufacturer Dassault. On the third criterion, it had said it wasn't its job to go into the pricing aspects.

READ | Fmr IAF Chief Dhanoa breaks silence on SC's Rafale verdict, says 'skeptics proved wrong'

READ | Unfortunate, unwarranted, malicious: Vindicated Rajnath tears into Rahul over Rafale

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Published November 14th, 2019 at 14:12 IST

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