Government stand vindicated, says Arun Jaitley on Rafale deal

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday took a dig at the Congress over its constant attack on the Rafale deal.

Claiming that the party has ''vested interests'' in delaying the aircraft deal, Jaitley blamed the UPA government for compromising with the national security of the country.

He further hit out at the Congress and said that Rahul Gandhi had lied about the Rafale deal.

Jaitley said that the maintenance process of the aircraft is cheaper under the NDA government and the price was increased due to the addition of sophisticated equipment.

Citing the CAG report, he said, "The report has completely vindicated stand of NDA government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress."

He further said that the deal had received a satisfactory response from the Supreme Court and the CAG and that the matter does not end here.

"The matter doesn’t finish here, the people have to punish those who misled the country. This is exactly the repetition of 1989. In 1989 when the Congress government headed by Shri Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they manufactured a Saint Kitts against Mr VP Singh. Because Mr Modi has a clean image let us manufacture a crisis," he said.

Dismissing the reports of the government intervention in the deal he said, "In a consultation process, people are bound to express different views (MoD dissent note), that is how decisions take place, but ultimately the Government is one and final decision is taken. "

On reports of Congress' charge against CAG Mehrishi he said, "Congress stands for the destruction of institutions, they destroyed institutions during the emergency. No file or decision relating to any defence purchase, or Rafale in particular ever went to Rajiv Mehrishi(CAG) when he was Secy Economic Affairs for eleven months".

The Union Minister also assured that the delivery of the planes would be done faster.