Why is government silent on Rafale price, asks Rahul
Amethi, Sep 25 : Continuing his attack on the Rafale deal, Congress President on Tuesday questioned the government's silence on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets being bought from France.
"We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister what is the price of the aircraft. The Defence Minister says she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. The Defence Minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price)," he told reporters on the second day of his visit to his constituency.
He said he raked up the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him if there was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details.
"Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft, they can," the Congress chief said.
"First, the question is why did the Defence Minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1,600 crore. Even other countries have bought Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1,600 crore," he said.
Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said for 70 years HAL has been making aircraft while the private firm had not made any aircraft.
Making a reference to the deal signed between the two governments headed by Modi and former French President Francois Hollande, he said (French) journalists had asked Hollande as to who gave the deal to the private firm -- whether it was Modi, the French government or Dassault.
"Hollande told them... No. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Modi. This is the truth," Gandhi said.
"He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the 'chowkidar' of the nation, not the Prime Minister. But he has given away the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm."
Gandhi said when he raised questions on these issues in the Lok Sabha, there was no answer from Modi. "This is the truth and ... more will come out on Rafale."
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
