NEW DELHI:EROS TIMES: September 13—Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken said that the Rs 1,71,000 crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal was the biggest scam of the century in which the BJP-led Modi Government at the Centre was fully involved.
He said that the Modi Government has compromised the internal and external security of the country in a bid to help out Modi’s rich friend Ambani. Ajay Maken said this while addressing Congress workers at a demonstration organized by the Krishna Nagar District Congress Committee to protest against the Rafale deal at the Laxmi Nagar chowk.
It may be recalled that under the leadership of Ajay Maken, Delhi Congress had held a massive protest rally at the inner circle of Connaught Place to highlight the Rafale deal scam at the national level, and after that the district Congress committees have been holding protest demonstrations in their respective districts.
Ajay Maken said that before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi, in his speeches had repeated that “Na Khaunga, Na Kisi Ko Khane Dunga”, but after becoming the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi went back on his words.
Besides Ajay Maken, prominent others who took part in the demonstration were AICC in-charge of Delhi Shri P.C.Chacko, Delhi Govt. former minister Dr. A.K. Walia and Dr. Narender Nath, AICC Secretary Naseeb Singh, senior leader Chattar Singh, Brahm Yadav, Krishna Nagar District president Gurcharan Singh Raju and Ajay Arora.
Ajay Maken said that when the Congress-led UPA Government was in power at the Centre, bid for the Rafale aircraft was opened at the global level on 12 December, 2012 under which 36 Rafale aircraft were to be bought at the rate of Rs 526.10 crore per aircraft for a total cost of Rs 18,940 crore.
Maken said that the BJP-led Modi Government has now altered the contract to buy 36 Rafale aircraft with each Rafale aircraft costing 7.50 billion Euros, which amounts to Rs 1670.70 crore per aircraft, which means that 36 Rafale aircraft would now cost the country Rs 60,145 crore. Maken said that it is very strange that in four years time, the cost of 36 Rafale aircraft jumped from Rs 18,940 crore in 2012 to Rs 60,145 crore. Maken said that the BJP Government at the Centre should clarify how come the price of 36 Rafale aircraft increased by Rs 41,205 crore in four years.
Maken said that the Congress-led UPA Government were to give the maintenance of the Rafale aircraft to Public Sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd but the Modi Government has given the contract to its rich friend Ambani’s company which was registered only 12 days before the contract was awarded.
Maken said that the HAL employs thousands of workers and they will be rendered unemployed by not giving the maintenance of the Rafale contract to the Government-owned HAL, as the Modi Government has decided to favor the company of its rich friend Ambani by giving it the maintenance contract.
Maken asked don’t the people of the country have a right to know the cost of the Rafale aircraft? He said that the core value of a democracy is transparency and it is expected of a democratic Government that they would be transparent in their working.
Maken asked why is the Modi Government at the Centre running away from holding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the Rs 1,71,000 crore scam committed by the BJP-led Modi Government at the Centre and Ambani in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.