WEB DESK

Rahul_GandhiCongress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal and alleged that the visit of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to France was in connection with process to justify his decision to purchase the fighter jets.

“The Supreme Court has asked for the Rafale decision-making process. It’s quite simple really… The PM decided. The processes to justify his decision are yet to be invented. But work has begun. Ps. In this connection, Raksha Mantri is leaving for France tonight,” Gandhi said in a tweet.

 

Sitharaman left the country on Wednesday on a three-day visit to France.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government to disclose details of the decision making process for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a fly-away condition from France’s Dassault Aviation.

The Congress has alleged that Modi government’s decision to purchase the fighter jets from France has caused Rs 41,000 crore loss to the exchequer compared to the deal negotiated by the UPA govenrment.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday evening left for France on a three-day visit that would see her visiting the Dassault Aviation production plant that manufactures Rafale fighter jets besides other engagements.

Sitharaman, who will be in France till October 13, is leading a high-level delegation, which includes the Secretary, Defence Production.

The Minister will be holding talks with her French counterpart Florence Parly on various bilateral issues pertaining to defence cooperation including expanding bilateral maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, sources in the Defence Ministry said.