Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar slammed his predecessor AK Antony for creating ‘stalemate’ in the Defence Ministry during his tenure.
In response to Antony’s remarks on Parrikar for compromising on national security and questions on the Rafale fighter jet deal, Parrikar said he inherited the stalemate from Antony. “He (Antony) cannot escape the responsibility but I will not assess the level of damage because everyone has a style of functioning. What I inherited was a stalemate,” Parrikar told PTI.
He also claimed that Antony’s notings on the Rafale file had paralysed the bureaucracy and Antony’s decision to blacklist defence companies was a ‘panic reaction’.
Parrikar also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi by saying that he was raising issues and questions without getting a clear understanding of the subject.
He further questioned Rahul Gandhi’s claims of Rs 500 crore funds for One-rank, One-pension policy. “Yesterday, their General Secretary (sic) Rahul was talking about OROP. He says he had kept Rs 500 crore. I will sign it tomorrow if it is Rs 500 crore,” Parrikar said.