BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jaipal Reddy continued to attack the BJP-led NDA government over the Rafale fighter jet deal, here on Thursday. Challenging the Modi government to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the deal, Reddy deemed industrialist Anil Ambani a "broker between Modi and Dassault Aviation."
"As on April 8, 2015, under NDA government as well, talks were underway between HAL and Dassault. On March 28, 2015, Anil Ambani registered his company. Except for him. nobody else knew he would get the offset contract," Reddy said.
He accused the government of snatching away 10,000 jobs from HAL to benefit Ambani. "I will state that Anil Ambani was the broker between the government and Dassault," Reddy made a scathing allegation deeming that the Modi government had consigned HAL to hell. "Demonetisation is the biggest blunder of this government and Rafale deal the biggest plunder," Reddy added.
Reddy also attacked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman questioning her stature and credibility. "The Defence Minister says the aircraft are 9% cheaper, but she is an upgraded junior minister. I am not casting a reflection on her character, but what does this lady carry with her ... except for the confidence of the PM?" he asked. Reddy claimed that the Defence Minister wanted to reveal the price of the aircraft, but the Prime Minister was reluctant. "PM Modi believes he is above the government and the Constitution. He is like a medieval monarch and refuses to answer questions raised by AICC president Rahul Gandhi," he said.
The Congress has been attempting to corner the BJP over the Rafale deal with Rahul even setting a deadline for Union Minister Arun Jaitley to set up a JPC.