Rahul Gandhi congratulates IAF for arrival of Rafale jets, repeats questions on deal

As India welcomes first fleet of Rafale jets, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, yet again raked up a controversy over fighter jet's acquisition. While he congratulated Indian air force on new defence entrants, he asked Centre to answer questions about aircraft's worth, number of jets acquired and Rs 30,000 crore contract awarded to Anil Ambani inste of HAL. Gandhi has repeatedly questioned deal since Modi government finalised deal in 2017. 

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Gandhi rakes up Rafale controversy again

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Rafales land at Ambala air

In a mega boost to Indian Airforce's firepower, five Rafale jets have landed at Indian Airforce's Ambala airbase on Wednesday. jets took off from Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and arrived here after covering a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in United Arab Emirates. jets entered Indian air and were escorted by 2 SU30 MKIs to airbase.

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Rahul Gandhi & Rafale deal

Gandhi has raised questions on Rafale deal in Parliament on why only 26 aircraft were being acquired when 126 were needed. On pricing of Rafale jet, he h asked why it was changed from Rs 526 crore each to Rs 1600 crore each and questioned choosing Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence for joint venture with  Dassault Reliance Aero Limited (DRAL) over HAL.  se allegations were denied by n-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, affirming that government approvals were required for joint venture between two private companies.

PM Modi welcomes five Rafale jets to India with a sanskrit couplet after touchdown

Moreover, Supreme Court dismissed all petitions seeking a probe into alleged irregularities in deal and gave a clean chit to Union government on deal. Gandhi n ran into trouble when he said  "Supreme Court has accepted that 'Chowkidar Chor Hai'" amid 2019 Lok Sabha election rally, while filing his mination papers in Amethi. After BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi filed a contempt plea against Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi mitted that he me statements over Rafale case verdict in “heat of political campaigning”.