Rafale deal: Taxpayers will pay INR 1 lakh crore, says Rahul

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS): Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that the due to the Rafale fighter jet deal, Indian taxpayers will have to pay the “Prime Minister’s friend’s joint venture INR 1 lakh crore over five decades to maintain the aircraft. “Over the next 50 years, Indian taxpayers will pay Mr 56’s (Modi) friend’s JV, (INR) 100,000 crore to maintain 36 #RafaleScam jets, India is buying,” Gandhi tweeted. “Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) will address a press conference to deny this, as usual. But the truth is in the presentation I’m attaching,” he said, tagging along a Reliance Infrastructure Investors Presentation. It said that “Reliance Defence Limited has secured the offset contract from Dassault Aviation for INR 30,000 crore and a consequent ‘Lifecycle opportunity’ is estimated at INR 1 lakh crore over 50 years.” The Congress on Friday accused Sitharaman of “lying” on Reliance Defence Limited’s offset contract”, and said it didn’t have experience in manufacturing fighter jets.