Rafale deal: FM Sitharaman says CAG Defence report to be tabled in upcoming parl session

As Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi alleges 'stolen money' in the Rafale deal again, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Saturday, clarified the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Defence Offset Performance would be tabled in the upcoming Parliamentary session. She pointed out that the report was to be tabled in the budget session, but was not as the session was cut short amid COVID-19 pandemic. Talking about Rafale's inclusion in the CAG report, she stated that the contents of the CAG report will be known only in Parliament.

Sitharaman: 'CAG report to be tabled in Parliament'

She further stated that as the first Rafale was handed over to India in October 2019, there is a year-wise phasing of how much offset obligation the companies/OEMs have to fulfill. Dismissing Gandhi's claims of ' Money was stolen from the Indian exchequer in Rafale', she said Defence Ministry has informed her that these obligations were being fulfilled. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi stirred the Rafale deal citing a report that quoted a source in the CAG  saying the CAG's performance audit on defence offset contracts submitted to the Centre has no mention of any offset deals related to Rafale aircraft purchased from French company Dassault Aviation.

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Gandhi: 'Money stolen in Rafale deal'

The report claimed that the Defence Ministry had informed CAG that Dassault Aviation - which manufactured Rafale jets will share any details of its offset partners only after three years of the contract and hence had allegedly been dropped from the CAG audit - whose report was submitted to the government in December. As per convention, after a CAG report is submitted to the government, it will be tabled in the Parliament, then referred to the Public Accounts Committee, led by the Opposition for scrutiny. This is scheduled to happen in the upcoming parliamentary session which will commence soon.

Rahul Gandhi drums up scam charge in Rafale deal again, says public money 'stolen'

Rafales land at Ambala airspace

Five Rafale jets have landed at Indian Airforce's Ambala airbase on July 29. The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on July 21 and arrived here after covering a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates. The jets entered the Indian air space and were escorted by 2 SU30 MKIs to the airbase. They were handed over to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in October 2019.

Rahul Gandhi congratulates IAF for arrival of Rafale jets, repeats questions on deal

The Rafale deal controversy

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi had raised questions on the Rafale deal in Parliament on why only 26 aircraft were being acquired when 126 were needed. On the pricing of the Rafale jet, he had asked why it was changed from Rs 526 crore each to Rs 1600 crore each and questioned choosing Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence for the joint venture with  Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) over HAL.  These allegations were denied by then-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, affirming that no government approvals were required for the joint venture between two private companies. Moreover, the Supreme Court dismissed all the petitions seeking a probe into the alleged irregularities in the deal and gave a clean chit to the Union government on the deal. 

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