BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday accused the Central government of compromising national security by deciding to buy only 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and not 136 aircraft as contracted for under the UPA government.
“The Rafale deal was an issue during the recent assembly elections and it will be one of the major issues during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” the former Union Minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
Questioning the deal, he said, “A defence deal worth Rs 60,000 crore that leaves the country with only 36 aircraft as against 126 contracted for under the UPA, cannot go unchallenged or unexamined. We are therefore taking our cause to the people, the highest court, and asking them to support the Congress party in its demand for a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) probe.”
Accusing the Centre of compromising national security, Chidambaram said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has stated that it needed 42 squadrons of fighter jets, but it has only 31 now. “Why did the government decide to buy only 36 aircraft (two squadrons) when the need was for at least 126 aircraft? he asked.
On the recent apex court verdict on the issue, the Congress leader said, “The sum and substance of the judgment is that the court, under Article 32 of the constitution, has limited jurisdiction and will therefore not interfere in matters relating to defence procurement.”
The court, he said, has virtually expressed is its inability to examine various aspects of the Rafale deal because of limits on jurisdiction and the JPC must examine the deal, he said.
‘Economists should take up farming’
To a question on economists being critical of farm loan waiver schemes being announced by governments, the former Finance Minister said farm loan waiver is imperative given the crisis faced by farmers. Economists should buy some land and take up farming to understand the crisis faced by farmers, he added. The Congress leader refused to comment on Tamil Nadu government’s opposition to the Mekedatu reservior project in the Cauvery basin stating that it is an inter-state issue and the Centre must taken an initiative to resolve it.