Rahul Gandhi repeats old charges against deal on fighters

NEW DELHI: As the first batch of five Rafale jets landed in the country, Congress on Wednesday congratulated the IAF but asked the Modi government to answer questions about what it called over-pricing, delayed delivery and offset contracts to a bankrupt Indian company in the deal with France.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Congratulations to IAF for Rafale. Meanwhile, can GOI answer: Why each aircraft costs Rs 1,670 crore instead of Rs 526 crore? Why 36 aircraft were bought instead of 126? Why was bankrupt Anil given a Rs 30,000 crore contract instead of HAL?”
The queries touched upon the issues about the fighter plane contract that the opposition party and Rahul Gandhi had turned into a campaign in the run-up to 2019 Lok Sabha elections in which the ruling BJP romped home with a larger mandate than in 2014.
However, the Congress decision to offer a tame tweet instead of a conspicuous press conference which marked its charges of bribery and favouritism against the BJP government earlier, suggested only a proforma bid to mark pr