New Delhi
The Congress on Friday stepped up attack on the BJP over the Rafale deal and said the Centre had promoted “crony capitalism of the worst order” in the process.

Congress media head Randeep Singh Surjewala, while questioning violations of guidelines for the offset clause under the deal, said, “The culture of crony capitalism is the DNA of PM Narendra Modi-led government. It is truer than ever in case of Rs 60,145 crore Rafale deal. Intrigue, conspiracy, deception and loss to public exchequer have marred the unilateral purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft by the government.”

He asked questions on why the BJP government favoured Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Defence as the offset clause partner with France’s Dassault Aviation instead of public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which had signed the Rs 36,000 crore offset contract in the shape of a ‘Workshare Agreement’ on March 13, 2014.

“Once PM unilaterally announced an off-the-shelf purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft on April 10, 2015. HAL was denied the biggest-ever defence offset contract. It went to a private company, Reliance Defence, which had zero experience of manufacturing fighter aircraft. Reliance Defence had been constituted 12 days before (March 28, 2015) the announcement of purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft by the PM in France. It didn’t have the licence to manufacture fighter aircraft,” alleged Surjewala.