New Delhi: Hours after Francois Hollande's statement that he or his government did not have any role in chosing Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner in Rafale fighter jet deal created a political storm in India and abroad, French government issued a statement seconding what the former president claimed.
"The French government is in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners who have been, are being, or will be selected by French companies," said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in a statement released by the French Embassy in New Delhi.
"In accordance with India’s acquisition procedure, French companies have the full freedom to choose the Indian partner companies that they consider to be the most relevant, then present for the Indian government’s approval the offsets projects that they wish to execute in India with these local partners so as to fulfil their obligations in this regard", it said.
“As it happens, agreements have already been signed by French companies with many Indian firms, both public and private, under the framework of Indian laws,” it said.
The statements, first by Holande and later by the French government, came after Congress led opposition termed the Rafale deal as the biggest international scam. The Supreme Court of India has also admitted a plea seeking a stay on the deal.
The petition seeking a stay on the Rafale deal was heared by the Supreme Court on September 18. However, the judges adjourned the hearing till October 10, 2018.
Former President Hollande had been quoted by a newspaper saying that Reliance's Anil Ambani was never their choice and his name was proposed by the Indian government as a partner which Dassault Aviation accepted.
“We didn’t have a choice. We took the partner that was given to us,” French newspaper Le Monde’s south Asia reporter, Julien Bouissou, quoted Hollande in a Twitter post tagging the French version of the report.
The report published by French news website mediapart.fr quoted Hollande as saying, “The Indian government proposed this service group and Dassault negotiated this with Ambani.”
The paper added the statements by Hollande sharply contradicted the version being put forward by the Modi government, which has maintained that Dassault alone had chosen Anil Ambani’s Reliance as the Indian partner.
The statement caused a huge setback to the Modi government which is trying to run away from any probe into the matter citing "national security" and other reasons. Responding on the latest revelation in the matter, Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi directly attacked Prime Minister Mod saying he had dishonoured the blood of Indian soldiers.
"The PM personally negotiated & changed the #Rafale deal behind closed doors. Thanks to François Hollande, we now know he personally delivered a deal worth billions of dollars to a bankrupt Anil Ambani", Rahul wrote on Twitter today evening.
"The PM has betrayed India. He has dishonoured the blood of our soldiers", Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier called the Rafale deal as the biggest scam of the country, said.
Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari asked Hollande to also explain how the price per aircraft went up by almost 03 times.
"President ( Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate", Manish Tewari, Congress spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
In his reaction over Hollande's statement, lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said, "This is explosive! Former French President Hollande, with whom Modi signed the new deal for 36 Rafale planes, says that the French & Dassault had no say in selecting Ambani as the partner (commission agent?) For the deal! Was recommended by Modi. Is this also secret Modiji?"
Hollande was the French president when the inter-governmental agreement between France and India for 36 Rafale aircrafts was announced by Modi in April 2015.
If Hollande’s statements are correct, it would sharply contradict the line taken by the Modi government over the deal in which 36 aircrafts were purchased at a rate which Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged was 03 times more than what the erstwhile UPA government had finalised.
In the face of opposition attack over the selection of Anil Ambani’s company over HAL, senior Modi government ministers have maintained that the process of choosing Reliance Defence as an offset partner for the Rafale deal was a purely commercial decision that was driven by Dassault Aviation.
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