New Delhi: The government on Wednesday called "unfounded" allegations made by the Opposition about the Rs 58,000-crore deal for 36 Rafale jets, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was "unrealistic" as doing so might compromise India's national security.
In a statement, the defence ministry said the earlier UPA government had also expressed its inability to disclose the price of various defence procurements, including in its responses to Parliament questions, in keeping with confidentiality requirements.
Giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet, it said, adding that the government was bound by the confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact in not sharing details of the deal.
The government said "doubts" were sought to be created about the contract and insisted that the deal secured by the government was better in terms of capability, price, equipment and delivery than the one "notionally" negotiated by the UPA regime in a process which it could not conclude even in 10 years.
"Unfounded allegations are being made regarding the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement to procure 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition from France. This would normally not have merited a response but for the serious damage being caused by the misleading statements, sought to be repeatedly perpetrated on a serious matter of national security," said the ministry.
The government's response came a day after the Congress launched a concerted attack on it over the "top secret" deal, alleging a "scam" and accusing the government of compromising" on national interest and security.
The Congress's criticism came after the government refused to share cost and other details of the deal in Parliament on Monday, while replying to questions on it.
At a press conference on November 17 last year, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, when asked repeatedly about the comparative cost of each aircraft negotiated by the then UPA government for the original deal for 126 aircraft and the rate at which the NDA had sealed the Rafale contract, had said the details would be provided soon.
However, the government did not reveal the details.
Apparently referring to a reply to a question on the cost of Rafale in the Lok Sabha in November, 2016, the ministry said the approximate acquisition cost of the Rafale aircraft had already been provided to Parliament
"Provision of exact item-wise cost and other information will reveal, inter alia, details regarding the various customisations and weapons systems specially designed to augment the effectiveness and lethality of the assets, impact our military preparedness and compromise our national security," it said
The Congress had claimed that according to information, the per aircraft price during the NDA came to Rs 1,570.8 crore as against the Rs 526.1 crore negotiated during the UPA.
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