<p class="title">The political slugfest between the ruling NDA and the Opposition Congress over the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet deal lowers the nation's prestige as the world is watching, former Chief of Air Staff Arup Raha said Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There could always be "something wrong or something right" in such big-ticket purchases, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Such Rafale-like controversies lower a nation's esteem as the world is watching. These are big-ticket purchases. Something may be wrong or something may be right," Raha told reporters on the sidelines of a defence seminar here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former CAS said such controversies were not good for the defence capability of a nation as the faith in the system would be lost.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Everything is well-documented. There is nothing to hide. The stakeholders (government and the Opposition) may always organise a confidential meeting and discuss it," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress has been alleging that the NDA government had helped Anil Ambani's firm benefit from the deal.</p>
<p class="title">The political slugfest between the ruling NDA and the Opposition Congress over the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet deal lowers the nation's prestige as the world is watching, former Chief of Air Staff Arup Raha said Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There could always be "something wrong or something right" in such big-ticket purchases, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Such Rafale-like controversies lower a nation's esteem as the world is watching. These are big-ticket purchases. Something may be wrong or something may be right," Raha told reporters on the sidelines of a defence seminar here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former CAS said such controversies were not good for the defence capability of a nation as the faith in the system would be lost.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Everything is well-documented. There is nothing to hide. The stakeholders (government and the Opposition) may always organise a confidential meeting and discuss it," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress has been alleging that the NDA government had helped Anil Ambani's firm benefit from the deal.</p>