Still negotiating for 'cheaper' Rafale deal: Parrikar
Parrikar accused the Congress of spreading rumours that the Rafale deal was being signed for $Â 9 billion.
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"We will reduce the deal value and we will save a lot. We will show them that we curved out a better deal that what the UPA government was getting that time," Mr Parrikar said in the Lok Sabha during Calling Attention Motion on the controversial AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal.
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He said Congress had spread the word that the Rafale deal was signed for $9 billion, which got widely reported. "In such a situation, even other people also get carried with such false information," Mr Parrikar said.
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The BJP had last month tweeted a graphic, saying that the Rafale combat aircraft deal has been "finalised" and the Narendra Modi government had saved over Rs. 21,000 crore in the "re-negotiation" with the French government.
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The Defence Minister had later clarified that it is not complete as yet but at an "advanced stage" and the intention is to "close it quite soon".
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India has been bargaining hard with France over the pricing of the 36 fighter planes, a deal that was announced first during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris in April last year.
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Parrikar was responding to Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who said that the previous UPA government was doing the Rafale deal for $10 billion.
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"Jyotiraditya Scindia took total liberties with the truth by saying that they were doing Rafale deal worth $10 billion. First Rafale deal did not happen, their defence minister had written it.. he was scared that his image would be tarnished...," Mr Parikkar said.
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Arguing that Antony had left it to others to finalise the deal, he said, "He (Antony) had written that L-1 determination is done and now negotiate price. After finalising it, bring it back to me to check up if the company is L-1. I have never in my lifetime seen such a comment".
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"They would have had the experience from Agusta deal and that is why they had wrote it on top of Rafale deal (file)," he said.