The mystery over the bona fides of the Rafale fighter aircraft deal is getting murkier by the day, compounded further by the reluctance of the NDA government to subject itself to scrutiny and come out clean (Page 1, ‘Exclusive’, “Rafale: Modi govt. gave unprecedented waivers in offset agreements”, April 9).
Even if, for the sake of argument, no quid pro quo for monetary gain was involved, it is necessary that unfair, unprecedented waivers and concessions offered be probed in terms of procedural lapses and financial losses. Is it proper for an elected government to dismiss all the evidence so far as a figment of the imagination when the revelations are based on extracted documents from no less than the Union Defence Ministry? Maybe the government is emboldened by the fact that the layman hardly understands the intricacies of a complex defence deal, a belief corroborated by the findings of a major election survey that the Rafale issue is not so serious an electoral issue in 2019. But an elected government owing allegiance to the Constitution is duty bound to ensure that the interests of national security are not compromised in any way.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
I am unable to fathom what The Hindu is trying to convey with its ‘exposés’. From all that has been published so far, I only find that the Prime Minister has acted as the highest decision-maker should. He appears to have allowed all the procedures to be followed and also intervened whenever impediments were found. One cannot fault him for making a decision to hasten the process of acquisition. The United Progressive Alliance had a full 10-year term to ensure the fighters arrived, but, alas, it was not to be. The ‘exposés’ only seem to have strengthened decision-making at the highest levels by keeping the best interests of the country in mind and without worrying about criticism — probably factored in when such decisions are made.
T.N. Vaidyanathapura,
Maddur, Mandya, Karnataka