New Delhi: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday termed as “absolutely wrong” Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s claim that there was no confidentiality clause in the Rafale aircraft deal with France and said the initial agreement was signed when the UPA was in power in 2008. Later, France also said a security agreement it concluded with India in 2008 legally binds the two countries to protect the classified information relating to operational capabilities of defence equipment.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the government of “lying” to the nation on the issue of sharing details of the Rafale jet deal and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “bhagidaar” (collaborator) in cases of alleged corruption, not a “chowkidaar (guard). Addressing the Lok Sabha during his speech in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the NDA government, Gandhi said the French president had clearly conveyed to him during a meeting that there was no problem in sharing details relating to the Rafale deal worth Rs 58,000 crore.
Hours after Gandhi's comments, a spokesperson in the French foreign ministry said France had signed a security pact with India in 2008 which legally binds the two countries to protect the classified information which could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment. However, the official did not clarify whether the provisions of the pact restrict the Indian government to disclose price details of the Rafale deal.
In one of his sharpest attacks on the government on the issue of alleged graft, Gandhi also trained his guns on Modi. The truth is that Modi is not a “chowkidar” but a “bhagidaar” in the wrong-doings, the Congress chief said. “I personally met the French president and asked him if there is such a pact between the French and Indian governments. The French president told me that there is no such pact between the French and Indian governments,” Gandhi said.
The Congress president alleged that defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman was lying to the country under pressure from the prime minister. “Who is being helped, why is the help being given, Niramala ji, the prime minister should tell the country.” Vehemently rejecting the charges, Sitharaman said the secrecy agreement with France was signed in 2008 and the Rafale deal was covered under it. “As per article 10 of the Inter Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and France, on purchase of Rafale aircraft, protection of classified information and materials exchanged under IGA shall be governed by provisions of security agreement signed on January 25, 2008,” she said.
