Mumbai, Mar 8 (NIE): NCP president Sharad Pawar on Thursday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government for the alleged theft of the controversial Rafale deal documents.
“How can confidential papers go missing from the Defence Ministry? If confidential papers get stolen, then what is the situation on the security front?” asked Pawar. Casting aspersions on the government, he also questioned why it had hidden this fact from the Parliament. “Definitely, the papers had some vital information.”
Pawar, a former Union defence minister, alleged that it was clear now that the (Rafale) deal was done to benefit “certain” people.
On Wednesday, the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the documents related to the deal were “stolen” from the Defence Ministry, and that an investigation over the alleged theft was in progress. It had further threatened to invoke the Official Secrets Act and initiate “criminal action” against two publications, which ran reports on the basis of these “stolen” documents. Accusing the ruling BJP of double standards, Pawar said, “These very people (BJP) had demanded a probe into the Bofors arms deal case. At that time, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had ordered a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe. The same people are now refusing an inquiry into allegations being levelled in the Rafale case.”
The NCP chief also accused the Modi government of inflating the price of the fighter jets. “The contract was snatched from a public sector undertaking (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), and given to Anil Ambani’s company, which does not have any experience in aircraft manufacturing. It does not even have a manufacturing plant.”
Pawar took a dig at Modi for “politicising” the killings of CRPF personnel in Pulwama and Air Force’s subsequent air strike in Pakistan. “With the exception of the BJP, all the other parties have refrained from politicising the issue. After the Pulwama attack, the Opposition met and took a conscious decision of not making political capital out of it. But the PM attacked the Opposition in public rallies.”