“CAG Report On Rafale Deal Is Useless And It Has Become Joke,” : P Chidambaram
Mumbai: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram claims that CAG report on the Rafale deal is useless and it has become a joke.
The information which is provided in the report is just to hide the truth says former finance minister.
CAG is not God, he said, apparently rejecting the ruling BJP’s controversy that the report of the National Auditor should be the last word on the controversial issue.
“The CAG allowed itself to become a joke and an honourable government in future will restore the prestige and credibility of the institution,” Chidambaram said
“If you thought those 33 pages will bring to light the hidden aspects of the deal and explain matters relating to numbers, pricing, delivery etcetera and comment on correctness and propriety of transaction, you will be disappointed,” he said.
In February 2018, in response to demands for details of the agreement to be made public, Nirmala Sitharaman said that the details were classified under a security agreement signed by Indian and French governments in 2008. She said that no state-owned or privately-owned companies were included in the IGA. Rahul Gandhi alleged that the secrecy over pricing was evidence of a scam.
The motion of no confidence was taken up on 20 July 2018. During the debate, Rahul Gandhi claimed that Sitharaman had refused to provide cost details of the Rafale acquisition citing a confidentiality agreement, but Macron told him that such an agreement did not exist. He repeated the allegations of price escalation and claimed an industrialist has obtained a benefit of ₹45,000 crore.
It also said that in the new deal there was “no need” of specific Indo-specific enhancements and the Ministry of Defense rejected the proposal to reduce the number of these enhancements of the Indian Air Force.
