BJP challenges Cong to disclose price it negotiated for Rafale

Jaipur: Accusing Congress president Rahul Gandhi of misleading people on the Rafale deal with France, the ruling BJP on Monday challenged the opposition party to disclose the price at which the fighter aircraft was offered to India during the tenure of UPA-II government.

MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal claimed that the price proposed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-II rule was higher than the deal signed by the BJP-led government and the Congress party was at pain because this dispensation has kicked out middleman from the government-to-government deal. He also said Anil Ambani's company is not the only offset partner of Dassault Aviation as other firms have also tied up with the French manufacturer as offset partners under the 'Make in India' programme."Congress is talking about the price of the plane which was offered during UPA-I but not UPA-II. Negotiations took place on the first price and the Congress should tell people about the proposed price of 2012-13. That price was higher than the present proposal," Meghwal said at a press conference here.

He said the then Congress government was listening to middleman Sanjay Bhandari, a close associate of businessman Robert Vadra, instead of Indian Air Force's continuous demand for high-end fighter aircraft.