Rafale deal cost Karnataka Rs 1.6 lakh crore: Cong

AICC National Media Panelist Jaiveer Shergill alleged that Karnataka has lost Rs 1.60 lakh crore due to Rafale deal.

"The Rafale deal has affected the Make in India and employment generation in Karnataka," he told reporters.

"The public sector undertaking HAL had entered into a work share agreement in 2014 with Rafale Dassault Aviation worth Rs 36,000 crore for offset contract during the UPA tenure. However, in the post-announcement of unilateral purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts by Prime Minister Modi in France on April 10, 2015, the HAL was bypassed. The offset contract worth Rs 30,000 crore was given to a private Company—Reliance Defence Ltd,” he said.

"Why was the state-owned HAL, which was involved in the original deal, kept away from the fresh deal? Why was the offset contract to Reliance which has zero experience in aircraft building?" he questioned.

"Why was the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) completely violated in the deal? Why were the Contract Negotiation Committee and the Price Negotiation Committee not consulted before the deal? Why was the Cabinet Committee on Security was totally ignored? Modi should answer these questions so that the country would know what actually happened in the deal," he said.

The Congress will not rest till BJP government answers on Rafale deal, he said.

On one nation and one election concept, he dared Modi to dissolve all state assemblies and hold elections and the Congress party was ready for that.