Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a potshot at the Centre’s Narendra Modi government with ‘chor ki daadhi (beard of thief)’ jibe after it emerged that French Public Prosecution Services had ordered a probe into the Rafale deal between France and India.
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote, “chor ki daadhi (beard of thief).” He ended his social media post with the hashtag #RafaleScam.
चोर की दाढ़ी…#RafaleScam
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2021
This was after French Public Prosecution Services i.e. PNF ordered an investigation into ‘Rafale Papers’ for ‘corruption’, ‘influence peddling’, ‘money laundering’ and ‘favouritism’ on the complaint of French Anti-Corruption NGO, Sherpa.
The Rafale Scam was first exposed by Janta Ka Reporter in a three-part series. (You can read them here Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3).
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters that the probe by the French authorities will cover among other elements, questions surrounding the actions of former French President François Hollande, who was in office when the Rafale deal was inked, and current French President Emmanuel Macron, who was at the time Hollande’s Finance Minister as well as the then Defence Minister, now Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian as also role of RInfra i.e. Reliance Infrastructure Limited.
THE SWEETHEART DEAL
The French News Website, Mediapart.fr has also released details of the agreement inked between Reliance Infra and Dassault Aviation to constitute a Joint Venture Company called Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), which substantiates the statement of the then French Prime Minister, Mr Francois Hollande that decision to appoint Reliance as Dassault’s industrial partner was that of Modi Govt and that France “had no choice” in the matter.
It brings out the following:-
Firstly, Reliance owned 51% and Dassault owned 49% in the joint venture i.e. the company – DRAL. Please see Annexure A.1.
Secondly, Reliance and Dassault agreed to a maximum investment of 169 Million Euros. Dassault, with 49% of stake in DRAL, pledged to provide 159 Million Euros i.e. 94% of the total maximum investment. Reliance with 51% stake in DRAL was to bring only 10 Million Euros.
Thirdly, Clause 4.4.1 of the agreement between Reliance and Dassault envisaged that Reliance will provide production facilities and ‘marketing for programme and services with the GOI’. Obviously, this is reference for influence of Reliance with Modi Govt.
Fourthly, the agreement between Reliance and Dassault excluded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited i.e. HAL as now DRAL was responsible for Rafale’s ‘Aircraft Final Assembly Line’.
Fifthly, on 25th March, 2015; Mr Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, in presence of Chief of Indian Air Force and Chairman of HAL, told in Bangalore that Dassault and HAL were in agreement in accordance with the RFP signed by them. Intriguingly, on 26th March, 2015; Reliance and Dassault signed an MoU. This was just 15 days before the unilateral announcement by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 10th April, 2015 to purchase 36 Rafale Aircrafts for 7.8 Billion Euros without transfer of technology and bypassing the Congress-UPA global tender to purchase 126 Aircrafts.
MODI GOVT; FRENCH GOVT DELETED THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CLAUSES
It is important to remember that the ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ contains mandatory ‘anti-corruption clauses’ i.e. “No Bribery, No Gift, No Influence, No Commission, No Middlemen”. This mandatory policy was also part of the tender issued by Congress-UPA for purchase of 126 Fighter Aircrafts.
The Defence Ministry had proposed the mandatory ‘anti-corruption clauses’ to be part of the ‘Inter-Governmental Agreement’ dated 20.07.2015 for the 36 Aircrafts Rafale deal by Modi Govt.
The French Govt/Dassault deleted the ‘anti-corruption clauses’. See Annexure A.2.
Prime Minister/Govt of India approved the deletion of ‘anti-corruption clause’ in September, 2016. See Annexure A.3. This was done despite the specific guidance of Defence Ministry to include the ‘anti-corruption clauses’.
In view of the latest revelations, it becomes all the more scandalous.
JPC PROBE INTO RAFALE CORRUPTION
Congress leader RS Surjewala said that new facts now clearly called for a thorough JPC probe in Rafale Scam. He asked, “Will the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi answer to the Nation!”