National
Congress ‘manufacturing’ Rafale allegations, says Jaitley
New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday slammed the Congress for “manufacturing” corruption charges against the government in questioning the deal to purchase Rafale fighter jets from France.
In his reply to the debate on the Budget, which was cut short by protests and ruckus, he said the Congress was trying to manufacture a scam in Rafale fighter jet purchase because it could not find corruption case in the Narendra Modi government’s tenure so far.
“The UPA government was stigmatised because of corruption. In this government, because they could not find any corruption cases, they manufactured one,” Jaitley said.
He also cited a number of written replies to Parliament by Defence Ministers of the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments, where they had refused to quote the price in defence deals citing security concerns.
“When you give details of a defence transaction, you give the details and capacity of the weapon system, which you don’t want to inform the enemy (about). At least 15 previous RMs including Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony have refused to give details of armament purchases,” he said.
This was countered by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who said the opposition did not want any details that would compromise national security and the government can just reveal the price of purchase.
Jaitley however said that a breakup of the price may reveal details of the missiles and equipment that are in the deal. He also questioned if Congress President Rahul Gandhi was on the same page as Tharoor, prompting protests from opposition benches.
“Breakup of cost will tell what weapon systems are there in the deal. These security pacts are inherent part of these defence contracts.
“Secrecy is an inherent part of any deal. Congress is compromising national security by asking for details which should not be made public, that is, known to the enemy,” the Minister added.
Jaitley’s reply was cut short by protests by Congress MPs and other opposition members, and the House was adjourned.
Gandhi then took to Twitter and said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in November 2017 that she will reveal the price of the Rafale planes, but held in February 2018 that it was a “state secret”.
Congress has alleged that there are irregularities in the deal for buying 36 Rafale fighter jets off-shelf from France, signed between the Indian and French governments. It claimed that the fighter jets are being bought from France at a price higher than what was negotiated in the previous multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal under which 126 fighter jets were to be bought, and included a number of fighters being assembled in India.
On Wednesday, the government issued a statement calling Congress’ charges “unfounded”, and reiterated that all due procedures have been followed in the deal, which was done to meet the urgent requirement of fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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