UPA to blame for HAL's ouster from Rafale deal: Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit back at the Congress over its criticism of the Rafale fighter jet deal, saying the previous UPA government was responsible for the failure to finalise an agreement between French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Responding to questions over HAL's exclusion from the current Rafale agreement, Sitharaman said the Congress should explain why the negotiations between Dassault and the state-owned defence manufacturer failed during the UPA government's tenure.

She said the previous government had the opportunity to strengthen HAL's proposal and make the terms acceptable to Dassault so that an agreement could be concluded.

"The entire issue of HAL not being chosen happened during their time," Sitharaman said, arguing that the questions being raised about HAL should therefore be directed at the former government.

Her remarks came after former Defence Minister and Congress leader A.K. Antony criticised Sitharaman for allegedly damaging HAL's reputation by saying that the defence public sector undertaking did not have the required capability to manufacture the Rafale.

Sitharaman also defended the Modi government's decision to acquire 36 Rafale aircraft through an intergovernmental agreement, instead of proceeding with the earlier plan to procure 126 jets.

Countering Antony's criticism that the reduction in the number of aircraft compromised national security, Sitharaman said defence procurement was a complex process involving negotiations, production schedules and delivery timelines rather than a simple purchase.

She pointed out that aircraft have to be ordered and subsequently manufactured, which means procurement decisions must take production capacity and delivery schedules into account.

The Defence Minister also defended the price negotiated under the new agreement. She said the government had already responded in Parliament to questions concerning the cost of the aircraft and maintained that the basic aircraft price under the intergovernmental agreement was 9 per cent lower than the price negotiated by the previous government.

Sitharaman said ensuring value for money was a key responsibility of the government and that the comparison demonstrated that the new arrangement secured a better price for the basic aircraft.

The Rafale deal has become a major political issue, with the Congress questioning the procurement process, aircraft numbers, pricing and the absence of HAL from the agreement. The government, meanwhile, has maintained that the intergovernmental arrangement was necessary to meet the Indian Air Force's operational requirements and secure the aircraft at a competitive price.