On 21 September the ousted ex French President Hollande made a shocking statement on Rafale deal. Knowingly and as if on a cue from somewhere he said that the French side was asked by the Indian government to go with Reliance as an Offset partner. Interestingly Rahul Gandhi on 30 August 30 itself had given a warning of an impending devastating news “in the next couple of weeks”.
Now Minister Jaitley said that the two statements may have been `orchestrated’ as they are in perfect rhythm with each other. Questioning the timing of the statement given by the discredited former French President Francois Hollande, himself under probe for financial misdeeds, that came days after Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s August 30th cryptic tweet warning.
Gandhi had said that “some big bunker buster bombs in the next couple of weeks” will be coming with regard to the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal. Arun Jaitley now points out that it was not a mere coincidence that the Opposition leaders of the two countries were speaking in one voice on the controversial Rafale issue.
As per Jaitley there could be a linkage between Congress President rantings on the NDA government and Hollande’s statement on Rafale deal.
“I think he (Rahul Gandhi) is in some kind of a revenge mode. I won’t be surprised if the whole thing is being orchestrated. On August 30, why did he (Rahul) tweet “Just wait for a while, some bombs are going to be burst in Paris”? And then what happens is in perfect rhythm with what he predicted,” Jaitley said. He added: “I don’t know.
But I see a perfect coincidence in the rhythm between his tweet on August 30 and what happens when a statement is made which is found to be inaccurate and, therefore, the next day itself, Mr Hollande goes and starts backtracking it.”
Rahul Gandhi had on August 30 tweeted: “Globalised corruption. This #Rafaleaircraft really does fly far and fast! It’s also going to drop some big bunker buster bombs in the next couple of weeks. Modi Ji please tell Anil, there is a big problem in France.”
Days later, Francois Hollande said that French side had no role in deciding the Offset partner for Dassault and the name of Reliance was given by the Indian side. Hollande made this statement while defending himself and his partner Julie Gayet over alleged funding by Reliance of the latter’s film.
However, soon after his statement, Hollande back tracked and went on to tell French agency AFP in Canada that he was unaware whether India had put pressure on Dassault to work with Reliance adding that “only Dassault can comment on this”.
Dassault Aviation, the French and the Indian government clarified in their respective statements that the pact for Offset clause between Dassault and Reliance Defence was a private agreement between two companies and neither the French nor the Indian government were involved in it.
Rahul Gandhi on Saturday went berserk and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a “thief” for allegedly favouring Anil Ambani led Reliance Defence in the Rafale deal. Forgetting that Offsets were planned by his Congress led UPA Govt itself.
Hollande’s contradictory statements have been noted by all …. the Govts of India and France and most important the people of India.
