Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said the Rafale aircraft deal inked with France was the "biggest scam" of the BJP-led NDA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was answerable to the people on the issue.
"Complete non-transparency in the Rafale deal, non-disclosure of purchase price of these aircraft, and violation of mandatory provision of defence procurement procedure," Moily said during the general discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha here.
"Tragically, the Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) has finally refused to disclose the purchase price (of the aircraft) in Parliament. What does it say?... the deal has left more questions than answers. (It is) Time for the Prime Minister to answer the questions to the people of this country in Parliament."
Moily urged the government to issue a 'white paper' on the aircraft purchase.
During the earlier United Progressive Alliance rule, the price negotiation was on Rs 586.1 crore per aircraft but the price negotiated by the present National Democratic Alliance government is Rs 1,570.8 crore as per the current exchange rate, he said.
"Who is responsible for the loss to the exchequer? This is the biggest scam," the Congress leader said, adding that the government was "playing with the security of the nation".
