NEW DELHI: BJP took the Rafale row to Congress’ court on Tuesday with defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was dropped from the jet deal by the previous UPA regime after French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the state-owned entity failed to agree on production terms.“All these attributes that are being put to us about HAL (beind dropped)... it’s not for us but UPA to answer as to why the agreement between Dassault and HAL did not happen. The UPA government could have done everything to strengthen HAL’s offer, to make sure its terms were appealing enough for Dassault... to conclude the agreement,” Sitharaman said during a media interaction at the Indian Women’s Press Corps in New Delhi.“HAL and Dassault couldn’t agree on production terms. So HAL and Rafale couldn’t go together. Doesn’t that very clearly say who didn’t go together with HAL and under which government it happened?” Congress has alleged that state-run HAL was overlooked for a private firm to meet the ‘offset’ or export obligations under the contract.The minister also clarified that the offset rules had been made during the previous Congress regime and it was left to the original equipment manufacturers to choose their partners which could include private firms and not necessarily state-owned companies. “Do you say that your rule was wrong... It is your rule,” countered the minister. The minister said that under UPA, it was only talks that were being held between the two parties (HAL and Dassault), but there was no deal.Earlier, Congress leader and defence minister during UPA, A K Antony, attacked Sitharaman for “tarnishing” HAL’s image over her remarks that the defence PSU “did not have the required capability to produce Rafale”. Congress has also accused the government of overlooking HAL for Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group to meet offset obligations under the contract.Sitharaman also dismissed Antony’s accusation that the Modi regime was compromising national security by reducing the number of jets to 36 from the 126 requisitioned by the IAF in 2000. “He (Antony) has done the negotiations, so he knows about how they go. These are not over-the-counter purchases... Orders have to be placed and then they have to be manufactured, thus there is a timeline.”Rejecting the opposition’s demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe, Sitharaman said, “The government has responded to the issues raised by Congress, including about the price of the basic aircraft, in Parliament. The price you (UPA) obtained for a basic aircraft when compared with the intergovernmental agreement we have done, it is 9% cheaper, and it is fact.”Asked how the Modi government will counter public perception about the Rafale deal in an election year, Sitharaman agreed that it would have to fight the ‘perception war’ tirelessly. Replying to other questions, she said there was no immediate proposal to downsize the Army, though a government-appointed panel had recommended steps to make the army a lean and powerful machine.