BJP accuses UPA government of irregularities in the Rafale fighter jets deal, cites a French online journal’s report

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 9

The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the previous Congress-led UPA government of irregularities in the Rafale fighter jets deal on Tuesday, citing a French online journal’s report.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the Congress should be renamed as “I Need Commission”.

Claiming that the “deal had failed during the Congress tenure because the party was dissatisfied with the cut being offered”, Patra said it would not be an over-projection that during the UPA tenure, they had a deal within every deal and they could still not strike a deal.

He also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading “canard, disinformation, and lies” and “misleading” the country ahead of the 2019 national elections by insinuating that the BJP was responsible for irregularities in the deal.

Asking Gandhi to respond to the report by Mediapart, he said: “The documents say Dassault, which was been described as D, paid 7.5 million Euros or Rs 65 crore as a commission to a middleman for 36 Rafale aircraft. This happened during 2007-12,” Patra said.

Patra referred the alleged middleman in the deal, Sushen Gupta, adding that he was also involved in the Augusta Westland deal for VVIP choppers. “It is too much of a coincidence and too much of a coincidence is a conspiracy,” he said.

“The INC (Indian National Congress) stands for I need commission...During the UPA tenure, there was a deal within every deal,” he also alleged.