Bengaluru, Aug 29: Former Union Finance Minister Yeshwant Sinha today alleged that through Rafale deal the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reduced his own 'Make In India' campaign a mere slogan.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he said that the probe by Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the issue would make little headway.
He reiterated that a forensic audit should be conducted by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), to find out 'criminal intent or negligence' in the deal. "By sidelining Hindustan Aeronautics Limited,
Mr Modi has reduced 'Make in India' to a mere slogan."
"Congress has been demanding a JPC probe. Since it will be headed by a member of the ruling party, there is no use of the Committee probe," he added.
He said that a JPC on Bofors too had made little headway. Rather than that, the forensic audit should be completed by December 31 to find out to assess the irregularities in the deal.
Mr Sinha, alleging that HAL has been kicked out of the deal, said that while the initial agreement was to procure 126 Rafale jets for
Rs 90,000 crore. "According to our information, the new agreement will procure 36 jets for Rs 60,000 cr." It is a question for the people to judge as the arithmetic behind the deal is very clear, he added.
Mr Sinha questioned why "HAL was kicked out completely from this deal and not even given the responsibility of meeting the offset obligation?". If HAL was part of it, there would have been technology transfer and 108 Rafale fighter jets would have been produced in India."
Mr Sinha, who quit BJP, questioned why a newly formed company was allowed to walk with the offset contract while refusing to name the company. "I cannot face a Rs 5,000 cr defamation suit', he added.
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