Congress president Rahul Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha on ‘no-confidence motion’ during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Friday, July 20, 2018. (LSTV GRAB via PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha on ‘no-confidence motion’ during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Friday, July 20, 2018. (LSTV GRAB via PTI)

Responding to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s address in the Lok Sabha regarding Rafale deal, the French government issued a statement saying the security agreement signed between both countries in 2008 binds both the nation to protect the classified information provided by the partner which could impact both security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France, news agency ANI reported.

The response from France was in relation to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation during the No-confidence motion in the lower house that the government has found out reasons to conceal information regarding the deal. The Congress has been demanding details and alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, but the government has refused to share them citing a secrecy pact with France.

Taking the no-confidence motion forward in the Lok Sabha, Rahul trained his guns at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and said, “The Defence Minister said the details of Rafale deal cannot be revealed as India has a secrecy pact with the French govt. The fact of the matter is that the French President has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the two governments. That contract was withdrawn from HAL and given to the gentleman who benefitted approximately Rs 40,000 crores. The Defence Minister has clearly spoken an untruth. The PM must explain whether the Cabinet committee on security benefitted from this dead. Why has a businessman benefitted?”

In the statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France said any breach in agreement could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France. “We have noted the statement of Mr Rahul Gandhi before the Indian Parliament. France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France. These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons,” the statement read.

“As the President of the French Republic indicated publicly in an interview given to India Today on 9th March 2018, In India and in France, when a deal is very sensitive, we can’t reveal all details,” the statement further added.

Meanwhile, responding to France’ statement, Rahul said, “Let them deny it if they want. He(French President) said that before me.I was there, Anand Sharma and Dr.Manmohan Singh were also there.”

What Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha during no-confidence motion today?

The Congress president said he had asked the French president about the Indian government’s claim that it cannot share the price details due to a secrecy pact between India and France. The French leader told him that there was no such pact, he claimed.

“Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore,” he alleged.

He also targeted Modi and said, “I can see him smiling. There is a touch of nervousness. He is looking away, not looking into my eyes,” intensifying protests from treasury benches.

What is the Rafale deal?

India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.

The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

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