New Delhi:
The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday tabled the CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force has been tabled in Rajya Sabha, it also includes the details of Rafale deal. Interestingly, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was seen flying paper plane outside the Upper House. Amid uproar, the proceeding of the Upper House was adjourned till 12 noon. The Congress, which has been blaming the Modi government for bypassing the rules to benefit private firm maintains that if the "overt acts of malfeasance" in the Rafale contract were ignored by the CAG report, then it would "not be worth" the paper it is written on.Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal had alleged conflict of interest and asked CAG Rajiv Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the deal as he was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was negotiated.
#EXCLUSIVE | News Nation accesses the #CAG report on #RafaleDeal which was tabled earlier in the Rajya Sabha by the @narendramodi government.
— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 13, 2019
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News Nation has learnt that as expected that the CAG report doesn’t not include the contentious pricing details. Before the CAG report was tabled, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi blasted the Modi government for its "bluff, bluster and intimidation" philosophy. According to latest media reports, the 141-page report says that the ‘flyaway’ cost of each fighter jet is same as that in the UPA regime. According to the CAG report, compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08% money for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract. “The delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months,†the CAG report added.
News Nation has learnt that the CAG report has two volumes. Volume I consists of technical evaluation, timelines of acquisition. It is, however, the Volume II that consists of the details of the controversial Rafale jet deal. Apart A is about 126 MMRCA acquisition process. Part B is about ‘Acquisition of 36 Rafale Aircraft through IGA.’
Union Minister Arun Jaitley took To Twitter to says that Modi government’s stand vindicated. “Satyameva Jayate – the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum,†Jaitley said in one of the tweets. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that the fighter jet deal sealed by his government was better than his predecessor. “2016 vs. 2007 terms – Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation,†Jaitley said. “It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right,†he added.