New Delhi, Nov 16 (UNI) Questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the new ‘skeletons tumbling out of the closets' in Rafale scam, the Congress on Friday said the PM cannot escape from his moral, political, legal and constitutional responsibility and accountability in “the Biggest Defence Scam of India”.
The party also vociferously reiterated its demand for the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe this mega scam.
Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson Pawan Khera , making yet another revelation in the Rafale deal, said that publically available ‘Management Meet Note’ of India’s largest private sector bank – ICICI; dated February 28, 2017 had established the deliberately hiked commercial cost of the 36 Rafale aircraft deal signed by PM Modi on April 10, 2015.
"The publically available ‘Management Meet Note’ of India’s largest private sector bank – ICICI; dated February 28, 2017 is now widely in public circulation, yet again exposes the Commercial Cost of Rafale Deal as well as again seals the cost of ‘Offset Contract’ and ‘Life Cycle Cost Contract’ to Mr Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence (RDL) at Rs 30,000 Cr and Rs 1,00,000 Cr respectively."
This is the sixth proof in public domain which testifies, that the per aircraft cost in PM Modi’s deal is Rs 1670 cr and that, flouting all norms; Modi Govt handed over a Rs 30,000 Cr ‘Offset Contract’ to Mr Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence- which had zero and absolutely zero experience in aircraft manufacturing,’’ he said.
He said that the ‘Management Meet Note’ of ICICI Bank said that the RDL has already formed a joint venture with French major Dassault for execution of offset obligations, as a part of the 36 Rafale fighter jet purchase valued at Rs 59000 crore. The offset obligation in this contract is pegged at 50 per cent of the total cost, i.e. Rs 29500 crore”.
‘’The note said that the management has pegged this opportunity from the Rafale programme at Rs 105000 crore. Dassault Reliance JV will provide performance based logistics for 50 years (scope includes maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrades) If awarded, it is also expected to execute additional orders of Rafale fighter aircraft for Indian Armed Forces under the “Make in India” programme.”
The note further said that “RDL pegs the defence opportunity at Rs 15 lakh crore over the next 15 years across various verticals in the defence space,'he said.
Mr Khera said that earlier , the cost per aircraft and the offset obligations had also been revealed in the Annual Report, 2016’ of Dassault Aviation , the press Release of Reliance Infrastructure Limited dated February 16, 2017, the R Infra’s Investor Presentation and the Reliance Infrastructure’s Annual Report .
" The Interview of Mr Sudhanshu Mohanty, Head of Finance, Ministry of Defence (uptil May 2016) spilled the beans’ indicting the Modi Government for corrupt practices in fixing a higher ‘benchmark price’ i.e from Euros 5.2 Billion (Rs 39,422 Cr) to Euros 8.2 Billion (Rs 62,166 Cr) for Rafale jets.

Now a third party document has reiterated the same figures of the commercial cost of the 36 Rafale deal, unilaterally signed by PM Modi in France, as also the Offset/Life Cycle Cost obligations being handed over to his crony friend,’’Mr Khera said .
Questioning the silence of the PM on the new revelations in the Rafale deal, Mr Khera said,’’ everyday, new sets of irrefutable evidences are lining up at the doorstep of PM Modi which cements the charges of ‘Squandering National Interests’, ‘Brazen Crony Capitalism’, ‘Kickbacks & Corruption’ and ‘Serious Illegalities’ that have taken place in the murky saga of Rafale Scam! .
"The silence of the Modi Government on the new "revelations" emerging in the Rafale scam, is precursor of the storm which they are about to face.PM Modi cannot escape from his moral, political, legal and constitutional responsibility and accountability in the Biggest Defence Scam of India. For truth to prevail, the only route is to order a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in this scandal,' said Mr Khera.
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