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Rafale deal: Latest expose puts Modi govt in dock again; Def Min’s reply raises more questions

Published

7 years ago

February 8, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi lampooned Congress leadership on defence deals, alleging they wanted the Rafale deal scrapped as they did not want Indian Air Force to be strong, the issue blew up in his face once again.

A report in The Hindu today (Friday, Feb 8) said the defence ministry had objected to “parallel negotiations” being carried out by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with the French government for purchase of the fighter aircraft.

This provided fresh ammunition for Congress president Rahul Gandhi to launch a fresh attack on the government. Reiterating the ‘chowkidar chor hai’ barb, he said the PMO was directly involved in negotiations with the French on the Rafale deal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guilty in the scam.

It is an open and shut case, Gandhi declared. “With the media report today it is black and white that the PM himself was carrying out parallel negotiations with the French. We have been saying there should be a JPC, an inquiry.” Gandhi said. at a press briefing at AICC headquarters in New Delhi.

Addressing the “young men and the armed forces” of the country, Gandhi said, “This is about your future. You are the defenders, protectors. You die for us. It is clear that the PM has bypassed the process. It is an open and shut case.”

Continuing his demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe in the deal, Gandhi said, “You can investigate any of our members. Launch a probe against Robert Vadra, P Chidambaram or anyone in the party. No problem. But investigate Rafale deal.”

The issue rocked the Parliament. The Opposition claimed the new expose indicted the Prime Minister. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge revived the party’s demand for a JPC probe into the Rafale Deal.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dubbed the report by The Hindu as misleading and attacked the Congress-led Opposition for “flogging a dead horse”. Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha that The Hindu report does not mention the then defence minister’s response and went on to quote its “full contents”.

“Then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ji replied to that MoD note that remain calm, nothing to worry, everything is going alright (sic),” Sitharaman said.

The Hindu newspaper had reproduced documents showing file notings made by then Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar calling the attention of then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar stating that “it is desirable that such discussions be avoided by the PMO as it undermines our negotiation process seriously.”

Kumar’s noting was on an observation made in the document, signed by then deputy secretary SK Sharma, which said: “such parallel discussions by the PMO has weakened the negotiation position of the MoD (Ministry of Defence) and Indian Negotiating Team (constituted by the MoD to negotiate the Rafale Deal with the French). We may advise PMO that any officers who are not part of Indian Negotiating Team may refrain from having parallel parleys with officers of the French Government. In case the PMO is not confident about the outcome of negotiations being carried out by the MoD, a revised modality of negotiations to be led by PMO at appropriate level may be adopted in the case.”

In notings made against Kumar’s comment, Parrikar responded: “It appears that PMO and French President’s Office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting. Para 5 (about parallel discussions, reproduced above) appears to be an overreaction. Defence secretary may resolve issue/matter in consultation with the principal secretary to PM.”

Sitharaman, however, ended up strengthening the notion that there was indeed something fishy about the negotiations which ended with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence elbowing out the Indian government’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the offset partner of Dassault Aviation in the jet purchase deal.

The MoD note raises crucial questions of propriety, and more significantly, over the likely possibility of the Modi government having misled the Supreme Court when it was hearing petitions demanding investigations into the Rafale Deal.

The Supreme Court’s verdict that rejected demands for a probe into the Rafale Deal was largely based on two premises – first, that an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General into the deal had found nothing wrong and second, a confidential reply by the Centre, submitted to the court in a sealed cover, which purportedly said that the PMO had no role in the negotiations with the French government on the final blueprint of the Rafale Deal.

Soon after the top court’s verdict, it transpired that the CAG had not prepared any report on the Rafale Deal and was, in fact, still in the process of preparing its draft report. Now, with the latest expose, it comes to light that not only was the PMO actively involved in the Rafale discussions with the French government but that these “parallel parleys” had been objected to by a section of officers in the Defence ministry.

These two points now show that the Modi government, to put it very mildly, misled the Supreme Court on the two key issues over which a probe into the Rafale Deal was averted. It remains to be seen if the top court will be open to revisiting its verdict in the Rafale case when petitions seeking a review of its judgment are heard and if it would haul up the Modi government for apparent contempt of court, if not abject perjury.

News agency ANI tweeted the full note of the defence ministry consisting of Parrikar’s reply to his officers.

Meanwhile, Kumar, who was the defence secretary then, has been quoted by ANI as stating that the dissent note of the MoD on Rafale negotiations had nothing to do with price. It was about sovereign guarantees and general terms and conditions, he told news agency ANI.

On September 27, 2016, The Indian Express had also reported about a Defence Ministry official who raised questions about the deal’s benchmark price and put his objections on record.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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NDA’s track record strikes chord as PM Modi hails Maharashtra civic polls win

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Maharashtra voters after the BJP-led NDA registered a historic victory in the BMC elections, ending decades of Shiv Sena dominance.

Published

7 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked the people of Maharashtra after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance registered a landmark victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, marking the first time the party has emerged on top in the country’s richest civic body.

In a post on X, the prime minister said the people of the state had endorsed the NDA’s agenda of governance and development. He said the results of municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra showed that the alliance’s bond with voters had further strengthened.

According to PM Modi, the NDA’s track record and vision for development had “struck a chord” with the electorate. He described the verdict as a mandate to accelerate progress while celebrating Maharashtra’s cultural legacy.

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance dominates BMC

As counting continued, trends showed the BJP leading in 90 of the 227 wards in Mumbai, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was ahead in 28 wards. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, which contested separately, was leading in only three wards.

On the opposition side, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena were ahead in 57 and nine wards respectively. The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, was leading in 15 wards, while others were ahead in eight.

The outcome effectively ends the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decades-long control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which had been the party’s main power centre since its formation.

In the seat distribution, the BJP contested 137 wards and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena 90. The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP fielded candidates in 94 wards. On the opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 163 seats, the MNS 52, the Congress 143, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi 46.

Urban verdict weakens Pawar influence

The results in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad also sent a strong political message, indicating that the Pawar brand no longer guarantees success in key urban centres. Despite tactical coordination between the two NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, voters did not consolidate behind them.

In the Pune Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged with a clear upper hand, either winning or leading in a significant number of wards. The NCP factions failed to convert their traditional influence into broader citywide support.

Thackeray retains Marathi Manoos connect but loses power base

Uddhav Thackeray appears to have retained a section of the Marathi Manoos vote in Mumbai, even as the Shinde-led Shiv Sena made inroads. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) managed a respectable showing in its traditional strongholds, the loss of control over the BMC is seen as a major setback.

Control of the civic body had long been central to the party’s political identity and a key factor in its alliances.

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as key strategist

Much of the credit for the BJP’s sweeping civic success is being attributed to Devendra Fadnavis. Under his leadership, the Mahayuti alliance has carried forward its assembly election momentum into municipal politics.

The results are being seen as reinforcing Fadnavis’s political standing, demonstrating that even combined opposition forces could not halt the BJP’s rise. The verdict has also challenged the long-held claim of the Thackeray family over Marathi votes in Mumbai.

India News

BJP-led Mahayuti surges ahead in BMC polls as Thackerays lose Mumbai stronghold

The BJP-led alliance has taken a strong lead in the BMC elections, signalling a major political shift in Mumbai as counting continues across Maharashtra.

Published

11 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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The BJP-led alliance is heading towards a decisive victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, dealing a major blow to the Thackeray cousins’ long-standing control over Mumbai’s civic administration. Early trends from the ongoing vote count show the ruling alliance opening a clear lead in the country’s richest municipal body.

With results still being tallied, the BJP-led bloc is ahead in 115 wards of the BMC. Of these, the BJP is leading in 86 wards, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has an edge in 29 wards.

In contrast, the Thackeray cousins appear to be struggling to retain their grip on the civic body they once dominated for decades. Together, they are leading in 77 wards, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead in 71 wards and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leading in six.

High-stakes election after nine-year gap

The BMC elections were held after a nine-year gap, following a four-year delay, making the contest one of the most closely watched civic polls in Maharashtra. Over 1,700 candidates were in the fray for 227 seats in Mumbai alone. The BMC’s annual budget exceeds Rs 74,400 crore, underscoring the political and financial significance of the results.

In the 2017 elections, the undivided Shiv Sena, which then included Eknath Shinde, had retained control of the BMC, continuing its decades-long dominance.

BJP ahead across Maharashtra civic bodies

The BJP’s strong showing is not limited to Mumbai. Across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, early trends indicate that the party is leading overall. Combined figures show the BJP ahead in 909 wards, while its ally, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is leading in 237 wards.

In the party-wise standings, the Congress is placed third with leads in 179 seats, largely from Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nagpur and Kolhapur. The Shiv Sena (UBT) follows with 118 seats, closely trailed by Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which is leading in 112 wards.

Pune also tilts towards BJP

Pune has emerged as another key battleground, especially as rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, joined hands for the civic polls. Despite the alliance, the BJP is leading in 52 seats in Pune, while the combined NCP factions are ahead in seven seats.

Large-scale polling across the state

Polling for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in the 29 civic bodies was held on Thursday. Around 3.48 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots, deciding the political fate of 15,931 candidates, including those contesting in Mumbai.

Besides Mumbai and Pune, counting is underway in several other municipal corporations, including Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Solapur, Kolhapur and Aurangabad, among others.

India News

BJP, Thackerays or Pawars: Maharashtra civic body poll results awaited today

Counting of votes for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the key BMC and Pune civic bodies, begins today, with BJP, Thackerays and Pawars awaiting crucial results.

Published

17 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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The political balance in Maharashtra’s urban centres will become clearer today as votes are counted for elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state. The results are keenly awaited amid high-stakes contests involving the BJP, the Thackeray cousins and the reunited Pawar factions.

Polling was held for 2,869 seats across 893 wards, with 3.48 crore eligible voters deciding the fate of 15,931 candidates. Counting is scheduled to begin at 10 am.

Mumbai and Pune in sharp focus

All eyes are on Mumbai, where the contest for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has drawn statewide attention. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray joined hands after more than two decades in a bid to reclaim control of the country’s richest civic body.

The BMC, which has an annual budget of over Rs 74,400 crore, went to polls after a nine-year gap, following a four-year delay. A total of 1,700 candidates contested the 227 seats.

Exit polls suggest a strong performance by the BJP–Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) alliance in Mumbai. An aggregate of multiple surveys projects the ruling alliance ahead, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and allies trailing, while the Congress is expected to secure a limited number of seats. Exit polls have also indicated possible voting consolidation among Maratha and Muslim voters behind the Thackeray-led alliance, while women and young voters may tilt towards the BJP.

The last BMC election in 2017 saw the undivided Shiv Sena retain control of the civic body it had dominated for decades.

In Pune, the spotlight is on the unusual alliance between rival NCP factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. Exit polls indicate the BJP could emerge as the largest party in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), with both NCP factions and the Shiv Sena also expected to secure a share of seats.

Statewide counting underway

Apart from Mumbai and Pune, counting will take place in several other key municipal corporations, including Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati, Akola, Jalgaon, Malegaon, Latur, Dhule, Jalna, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Nanded-Waghala, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, Ahilyanagar and Ichalkaranji.

With major parties treating these civic polls as a referendum on their urban appeal ahead of future state and national elections, today’s results are expected to shape Maharashtra’s political narrative in the months to come.