Petitioners trying to present a selective picture: Defence ministry

NEW DELHI: Soon after the SC agreed to hear Rafale review petitions, the defence ministry said the petitioners were using certain documents “with the intention to present a selective and incomplete picture of internal secret deliberations” on matters related to national security and defence.
It issued a statement to stress that the government’s “main concern” was the “availability of sensitive and classified information concerning national security in the public domain”.

Moreover, the documents presented by the petitioners “fail to bring out how the different issues were addressed and resolved”, with necessary approvals being taken from competent authorities. Requisite information, records and files were provided to the SC and CAG, the ministry said.

Earlier in the day, rejecting the government’s contention that the classified documents submitted by the petitioners could not be used as evidence, the SC said it would examine the documents while reviewing its December 14 order that virtually gave a clean chit to the mega deal.

The documents in the public domain, including a dissent note by three members of the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team for the deal, show internal differences over the pricing and cost of the 13 India-Specific Enhancements (ISEs) for the fighters to objections over “parallel negotiations” being conducted by the PMO and waiving off certain standard contractual safeguards like sovereign/bank guarantees. But the NDA government contends it secured a “better deal” than the one “notionally being negotiated” by the previous UPA regime for 126 Rafale jets.