Nirmala Sitharaman Says Congress Showing 'Amazing Audacity' on Rafale Verdict

Mumbai: Defence Minister Niramala Sitharaman Monday attacked opposition Congress, alleging that the party was “knowingly” misleading people over the pricing of Rafale jets.

Hitting out at the Gandhi family for alleging corruption in the defence contract, she said that they showed “amazing audacity” by not listening to the Supreme Court’s verdict in the case.

“The Congress is knowingly misleading people on the pricing of the Rafale jets,” Sitharaman said at the BJP office in Mumbai.

The stance of the country’s “first family” in not listening to the apex court’s order on the Rafale deal case petition can be termed as, with due respect, “amazing audacity”, she said.

The Supreme Court on Friday had said there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from France, and dismissed all the petitions seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal.

There was no substantial evidence of commercial favouritism to any private entity, the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said on the issue of an offset partner in its ruling on a batch of petitions.

The Congress has repeatedly criticised the deal for the 36 Rafale jets, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government.

The government has, however, denied any irregularity in the deal.