Chennai

The Opposition parties have been quick to issue condemnatory statements against the Narendra Modi government, which not only made the purchase but radically altered its terms, after scrapping a pre-existing MoU that was inked by the previous ruling dispensation. The Congress, of course, has also portrayed this development as a vindication of Rahul Gandhi, who had campaigned vigorously about this allegedly corrupt deal.

To confuse the announcement of a probe with the findings is a common political ploy. But even so, it does suggest that the French government believes there is a prima facie case to examine whether or not it was above board. So much so, the development is an embarrassment to the Centre, which appeared to be pleased with the cap placed on the surging controversy, with the Supreme Court’s rejection of all petitions relating to the deal, thereby handing a clean chit to the Modi government. With the French probe, the Opposition’s demand for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), something that the Centre has firmly resisted, has a stronger resonance, but it is doubtful whether the renewed demands for one will be conceded.

There is a certain lack of clarity of exactly what issues the French judge will probe; also, it is by no means clear how much information will be placed in his hands. As for the first issue, the probe is likely to focus on the kind of questions raised by the French investigative website Mediapart’s series of reports, which alleged, among other things, that a hefty commission was paid to an Indian middleman. In France, former president Francois Hollande dropped a bombshell when he said that Rafale-manufacturer Dassault’s major offset partner in India, an Anil Ambani group company, was selected by the Indian government. The French government had to then step in to issue a clarification that this was entirely Dassault’s decision.

The second issue relates to whether the French judge will have complete information about the case. The Indian government has consistently maintained that the Rafale deal is governed by a secrecy clause. It is extremely doubtful that it will be willing to share any sensitive documents on the deal. Even so, the issue that played itself out in India is not exactly the same as those that will concern France. In India, the point that the per piece cost of 36 imported Rafales was far higher than that struck under the UPA government was a major point of concern. The government, of course, defended this by saying that there were ISEs or India Specific Enhancements that were not a part of the original deal for the bare-bones aircraft. The French will be concerned not so much with high costs but with determining whether illegal payments were made or whether other rules were breached. Meanwhile, one thing is crystal clear. The Rafale controversy is far from grounded; in fact, it has taken off again.

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