Sharad Pawar‘s Nationalist Congress Party today raised questions over the authenticity of the CAG report tabled by Centre Government before the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare alleged that CAG Mehrishi was financial secretary during Rafale negotiations and he himself is CAG now so the question is the authenticity and truthfulness of the Rafale Deal. He added there is a conflict of Interest.
Similar allegations were leveled by Congress Leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday who said CAG has a Conflict of Interest.
READ: Kapil Sibal alleges CAG Mehrishi of ‘Conflict of Interest’ In Rafale Deal; warns bureaucrats of loyalty to PM Modi
NCP Spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare said the CAG report is silent on the pricing. ‘Why the cost appears 2.86% lesser is because the Centre Government have waived the bank guarantee which was one of the components in the deal considered during the UPA’s tenure,” he said.
The Sharad Pawar-led party was a constituent of the Congress-led UPA Alliance.
“Since the NDA government waived the bank guarantee and removed anti-corruption clause from the deal, the fighter jet seller did not require to pay a premium for it and the cost came down.
The CAG has to remove the bank guarantee which was considered during the UPA era and then compare,” Tatkare added.
Quoting a media report, the NCP leader said three members of the Rafale negotiation team had dissented on these very aspects of time and cost. “We don’t know if the CAG was supplied those papers.
This government is capable of hiding facts,” Tatkare alleged “Whatever report has been presented in Parliament does not talk about the cost. It just says the cost is 2.86 percent lower,” he added
Earlier in the Centre Government put forward that much awaited CAG report before the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Budget Session after which General Elections are slated. CAG Report tabled by Centre stated that the deal negotiated by the NDA was cheaper than that of the UPA proposed deal. The CAG report titled ‘Capital Acquisition in Indian Force’ which was of over 140 pages has 32 pages specially dedicated to Rafale Deal.
The report looks at 11 deals from 2012-2102 (five from the UPA era and six from the NDA era). The price comparison of the other deals with the Rafale deal in percentage has been given in the report. However, there was no mention of pricing in the entire report.
Crucial Findings of the CAG Report on the Rafale Deal negotiated by NDA Government
- The deal negotiated by the NDA was cheaper than that of the UPA proposed deal.
- The India-Specific enhancements made under the NDA deal were 17.08% cheaper.
- NDA Rafale deal was 2.86% cheaper than the deal negotiated by the UPA, not 9% as claimed by the BJP-led government
- The CAG report has no mention of Pricing However.
- Defence Ministry team in March 2015 recommended the scrapping of the 126 Rafale deal saying that Dassault Aviation was not the lowest bidder.
- The CAG Report titled ‘Capital Acquisition in IAF’ has a total of 141 pages in which 32 pages were dedicated to Rafale Deal
- The flyaway price of the jet is the same as agreed in 2007 by the UPA government
Reacting on the CAG report, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, ‘“Satyameva Jayate – the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum. 2016 vs. 2007 terms – Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation. It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right. How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation? The lies of ‘Mahajhootbandhan’ stand exposed by the CAG Report.
Satyameva Jayate” – the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 13, 2019
While addressing a Press Conference on Tuesday Congress President Rahul Gandhi also termed it as worthless. He said, ‘CAG report is a worthless report. I would term it as a ‘Chowkidar Auditor General Report’. It is Narendra Modi’s report, written for the Chowkidar, on behalf of the Chowkidar, for the Chowkidar by the Chowkidar’.
ALSO READ:
- CAG Report on Rafale tabled in Rajya Sabha: ‘NDA deal cheaper 2.86% than UPA’; no mention of ‘Pricing’
- Amid On-going blame game; ‘First Rafale Jet slated to be delivered In September’: IAF
- Rahul Gandhi’s fresh attack over Rafale; ‘PM Modi acted like Middlemen for Anil Ambani’ says Congress Prez