A video tweeted by Congress has raised fresh question over the Rafale deal
A video tweeted by Congress has raised fresh question over the Rafale deal, which has been at the centre of a huge controversy. The video shows Chairman of Dassault -- the company that manufacturers the Rafale fighter -- saying the company's deal with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to manufacture 108 Rafales in India was almost done, just two weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a brand new deal in Paris excluding the state-run aeronautics and defence giant. Two days before the new deal was announced, even then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told reporters that HAL was on board. The video tweeted by the Congress shows Dassault chief Eric Trappier speaking on March 25, 2015, in the presence of the Indian Air Force and HAL officers. Mr Trappier can be heard discussing responsibility sharing on the Rafale contract.
Here are the highlights on Rafale deal controversy:
Read: Anil Ambani's Firm Was Registered, Had Land Near Airport, Says Dassault DefenceDassault, one of the world's most established and experienced defence manufacturers, picked Anil Ambani's debt-ridden firm as a partner in India, "because it was registered with the MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs) and had land in Nagpur which provided access to the runway," said top sources at the French firm, speaking to NDTV on the condition of anonymity.
Read: Dassault Boss Video In Congress Tweet Pops New Rafale QuestionsThe Congress has tweeted a video of the Chairman of Dassault -- the company that manufacturers the Rafale fighter -- saying the company's deal with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to manufacture 108 Rafales in India was almost done, just two weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a brand new deal in Paris excluding the state-run aeronautics and defence giant. Two days before the new deal was announced, then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had also told reporters that HAL was on board.
The opposition asks how HAL was out despite being part of the negotiations with Dassault until just before the PM's visit to France in April 2015. On April 8, then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar held a press conference and said HAL was very much on board.