Congress allegation on Rafael deal shameful: Defence Minister Sitharaman
New Delhi, Nov 17 (IBNS) : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the Congress's allegation that the Modi government had negotiated an overpriced deal to buy Rafale fighter jets is "shameful" and a "disservice" to the armed forces.
According to NDTV reports, Sitharaman also took on the Congress, blaming it for sitting for 10 years on plans to buy the fighter jets that the Indian Air Force needed.
She said the decision to strengthen the Air Force was taken by the Vajpayee government in 2000 but the Congress-led UP coalition failed to clinch the deal l over the next decade.
"When we came back in power in 2014, the situation was grim... We had to move forward fast," she said.
Sitharaman's statement came a day after Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa rebutted the Congress accusations on Rafael.
The final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in 2016 after five rounds of discussions between Indian and French sides and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security, she said.
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