Ruling Party Leader Opposes Rafale Deal

India’s ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Subramanian Swamy on Friday took on the government’s decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyway condition from France. He said he will take the legal recourse if the government would go ahead with the decision.

Swamy on the micro-blogging site tweeted, “I may have to go to court if the government clears the Rafale deal in which TDK got a hefty bribe. Better we buy Dassault company than that.”

Swamy a National Executive member of the party expressed his disagreement about the possible buy. He said, the performance of the French jet is worst of all aircraft.

“Rafale faces major issues pertaining to the fuel efficiency and also lacks essential performance characteristic that no country in the world has agreed to buy these aircraft,” Swamy said in a statement.

Taking on Friday’s announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "If the Prime Minister for some other 'compulsion' decides to go ahead with the deal, I will have no option but to approach the court in PIL to get it set aside," Swamy said.

“Buying Dassault instead of buying their aircraft would be more beneficial to India. Dassault will go bankrupt if no country buys Rafale,” he said.