Congress president Rahul Gandhi (File Photo/PTI)
Upping the ante against the Government over the Rafale jet deal with France, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi dishonouring the defence forces.
Rahul Gandhi, in his tweet, claimed a scam amounting to one hundred and thirty thousand crore in procurement of Rafale aircraft. He described the deal as a 'surgical strike' on Indian defence forces while blaming PM Modi and Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani for it.
"The PM and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a One Hundred & Thirty Thousand Crore, SURGICAL STRIKE on the Indian Defence forces. Modi Ji you dishonoured the blood of our martyred soldiers. Shame on you. You betrayed India's soul," Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet.
Rahul Gandhi's statement comes after Dassault Aviation, in a statement, said that Rafale jet deal was a government-to-government agreement.
"This contract is a government-to-government agreement. It provides for a separate contract in which Dassault Aviation commits to make compensation investments (offsets) in India worth 50% of the value of the purchase," the French company which manufactures Rafale jets said.
Earlier, the French government said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale fighter jet deal, asserting that French companies have the full freedom to select Indian firms for the contract.
The statement by the French government came following a French media report which quoted former French President Francois Hollande as saying that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale deal and France did not have a choice.
WATCH: French government clarifies over ex-President Francois Hollande's stunning claim
