Advertisement

Updated October 13th, 2018 at 17:13 IST

HAL a "strategic asset," says Rahul Gandhi as he steps attack over Rafale deal

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on October 13 described HAL as a "strategic asset" in aerospace, saying the country owed a debt to it, as he stepped up his campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal.

| Image:self
Advertisement

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on October 13 described HAL as a "strategic asset" in aerospace, saying the country owed a debt to it, as he stepped up his campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Reaching out to present and former employees of the defence PSU at an interaction with them in Bengaluru, Gandhi said, work done by HAL for the country was tremendous and the country owed the debt to it for "protecting us" and creating a scientific vision. "....HAL is a strategic asset in aerospace, not an ordinary or regular company," Gandhi said at the event organised at Minsk Square near the HAL headquarters.

He said he was interacting with the employees to understand how to make "this strategic asset" (HAL) more effective "so that when we come to power, we will do it more aggressively."

Gandhi's interaction is part of his onslaught against the Modi government over the Rafale deal in which he alleges HAL had been overlooked in the offsets contracts with French aerospace company Dassault Aviation preferring Anil Ambani's company.

READ | HAL Employee Union Cancels Meet With Rahul Gandhi In Bengaluru But Appeal To Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Give More Orders To The PSU

The Congress, which has been accusing the government of benefiting the Reliance Defence Ltd of Anil Ambani from the deal, has also been demanding answers on why the state-run aerospace major HAL was not involved in the deal as finalised during the UPA.

The party had been accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of snatching jobs of people of Karnataka by taking away the contract from HAL.

Gandhi had been saying that had HAL been selected in place of Reliance Defence it could have generated employment to scores of unemployed youth in the state.

However, the BJP and Reliance Defence have dismissed all the allegations as false.

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with then French President Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

READ | Aiming To Escalate Attack On The Government Over Rafale Deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi To Meet HAL Employees On Friday

Advertisement

Published October 13th, 2018 at 17:13 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
a few seconds ago
Alaya F
a few seconds ago
BREAKING: Mukhtar Ansari Suffers Heart Attack, Admitted to Hospital in Serious Condition
4 minutes ago
Mukhtar Ansari Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in 1990 Arms Licence Case | Live
5 minutes ago
Man Detained With Liquor Bottle Outside Court When Arvind Kejriwal Produced In Excise Policy Case
8 minutes ago
Experience The Magic Of These Kashmiri Lakes
9 minutes ago
Penn Badgley
11 minutes ago
Nuts
13 minutes ago
Hill Stations
14 minutes ago
Ravichandran Ashwin and MS Dhoni
16 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo