Congress leaders meet CAG to demand a probe into the Rafale deal

Escalating its all-out offensive against the Narendra Modi Government, a delegation of senior Congress party leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala met the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on September 19 and demanded a probe into the Rafale deal.

The Congress delegation also handed a memorandum to the CAG and asked the auditor to prepare a time-bound report.

“As per law, the Government is bound to provide full information to the Comptroller and Auditor General. Entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favouritism and principles of level playing field are part of the CAG’s domain to examine. Even otherwise, Government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircrafts to scrutiny by CAG, in accordance with law. Besides, there has to be a similar disclosure to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Chief Vigilance Commission (CVC), and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. Public Sector Undertaking, HAL, offset contract worth over ₹30,000 crore and Life Cycle Cost Contract worth approximately ₹1 lakh crore being extended to a private entity with zero experience of manufacturing aircrafts and endangering our National Security apparatus. We, therefore, request the CAG to undertake its constitutional duty by conducting a time bound special and forensic audit by examining the record threadbare, so that the truth is told to the people of India in a comprehensive and transparent manner affixing the responsibility of Modi Government,” reads the memorandum handed over by the Congress leaders.

The entire memorandum can be accessed below:

Speaking to media, head of the Congress media department Randeep Surjewala said, “We met the CAG pointing out discrepancies in the 36 Rafale aircraft purchase. We pointed out how public exchequer has lost ₹41,000 crores. Why the purchase of an aircraft which UPA was buying for ₹526 crores at the rate of ₹1,670 crore by Modi government?”

“We pointed out as to how Modi government and Prime Minister Modi is personally responsible for violating the defence procurement procedure. We pointed out as to how HAL which has been selected as the offset partner getting a contract of ₹36,000 crores from Dassault Aviation has been superseded. Although Dassault admitted in its corporate filing in France that HAL is its Defence partner and how the company which was formed by Reliance well placed before Prime Minister’s visit to France has been given ₹30,000 crore contracts,” he added.

When asked about the response of the CAG, Surjewala informed that the CAG has agreed to probe the deal in time bound manner.

“They are examining the papers, the payment, they are examining the procedure and its violations. They are sure that will look at all the documents that we have brought in the public domain and that they will very soon be submitting the report to Parliament after examining all the contentions raised by Congress party,” said Surjewala.