NEW DELHI: Congress stepped up its attack on the Modi government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal and demanded that the Modi government explain why different parameters applied to the Rafale deal, while a different set of norms were quoted for the purchase of AK 103 assault rifles even though both were government-to-government defence contracts.
Dubbing it as “double-speak” by the Modi government,
Rajya Sabha MP and Congress spokesperson
Abhishek Singhvi said the government had turned down a Russian proposal to make a private Indian entity its partner for joint manufacture of AK 103 rifles.
“A fallacious argument of the Modi government on the Rafale scam has been nipped in the bud by its own recent negotiations in another defence deal, which is the AK rifle deal with
Russia,” Singhvi said.
Citing media reports, Singhvi said defence minister
Nirmala Sitharaman has turned down a Russian request to make a private Indian company its partner for the joint manufacture of Rs 3,000 crore worth of AK-103 assault rifles for the Indian Army.
“Modi government reportedly advised Russia that its firm Kalashnikov Concern should tie up with the state-run Ordnance Factory Board if it wants its proposal to manufacture the AK-103 assault rifles in India to be considered by the defence ministry. Why did it not apply the same principle in the Rafale deal? Why did the government not advise Dassault Aviation to negotiate further with government-run HAL?” he asked.
