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Centre’s affidavit on Rafale conceals more than it reveals: Congress

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New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) Trashing the Centre’s defence of the Rafale deal made before the Supreme Court, the Congress on Tuesday said the decision to buy the French jets was made in violation of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and the process was structured subsequently to legitimise it.

A day after the Modi government made public a redacted version of its affidavit to apex court detailing the decision to purchase 36 fighter jets from France’s Dassault, the Congress raised several questions over the procurement including prior approval from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).

“The Centre’s affidavit conceals more than it reveals,” said Congress leader Manish Tewari in reference to the Modi government defending the deal and asserting that the purchase of the French fighter aircraft was in conformity with the process laid down in the DPP of 2013.

“Modi announced the new deal in April 2015 while the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal to buy 126 Rafales (during the UPA regime) was scrapped only in June 2015. So how did the government conclude that it needed to buy only 36 jets?

“Was the Indian Air Force on board to roll back the procurement from 126 to 36 aircraft? If the MMRCA collapsed as the government claims, then was a fresh process initiated for the new deal,” asked Tewari.

The Congress also rejected the Modi government’s justification to scrap the UPA deal which said the “inconclusive MMRCA process afforded India’s enemies time to induct modern aircraft and upgraded their older versions”, and thus posed a threat to the country’s defence.

Pointing out that neither service qualitative requirements (SQR) were initiated nor a technical evaluation of the deal was done, Tewari said the process to acquire 36 jets was in “clear violation” of the DPP and the Centre “needs to answer as to why the process was not followed”.

“This is a command performance rather than a process dovetailing into a decision. The decision to buy the jets made earlier and the process structured later to provide legitimacy to it,” said the former Union minister.

Targeting the Centre over the “exclusion” of defence aerospace major Hindustan Aerobatics Limited (HAL) from the deal, Tewari alleged the government amended the DPP 2013 to justify the inclusion of an Indian private company as an offset partner in the deal.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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