Modi government gets a clean chit by Supreme court in Rafale case

In what can be considered as a huge victory for the Modi government in Rafale Deal case, a three-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Gogoi, Justices S K Kaul, and K M Joseph dismissed all the petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the Rafale Deal deal.

The Supreme Court observed, “We are satisfied that there is no occasion to doubt the process. A country can’t afford to be underprepared. Not correct for the Court to sit as an appellant authority and scrutinize all aspects.”

The CJI also said, “It’s not a case of commercial favoritism as offset doesn’t require to be chosen by the Indian government. The perception of individuals can’t be a subject matter of initiating an inquiry.”

The bench also said that it is satisfied with the process for procurement, adding that there is a financial advantage in the NDA’s deal. The Bar and Bench quoted the CJI Gogoi saying, “Cannot sit in judgment over the decision to go in for purchase of 36 aircraft in place of 126.” The bench also said, “Our country cannot afford to be unprepared when it comes to fighter aircrafts.”

The Supreme Court bench led by CJI Gogoi said, “We find no reason to intervene in defence deal.” The apex court maintained that it is not a case for the court to scrutinize the process of acquisition.

On November 14, the apex Court had reserved orders on the petitions alleging corruption and procedural irregularities in the Rafale deal for procurement of 36 jets from the French company Dassault Aviation.

There were four petitions in the case. Advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda were the first one to file the petition demanding ian nvestigation in Rafale deal. Later on, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed the petition in the matter. Then former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and notorious lawyer Prashant Bhushan also filed a joint petition on India’s deal with France to buy the fighter jets.

The SC’s decision is a huge setback to the entire opposition especially to the Congress President Rahul Gandhi who has left no stone unturned in making allegations of unfairness in the Rafale deal. The Congress party, from the past few months, has been valiantly trying to project Rafale deal as a scam. The recent decision of the Supreme Court pertaining to Rafale deal has exposed the Congress’ bundle of lies.

Now, hopefully, the Congress would stop playing their cheap and dirty politics on the issues related to National Security. The SC’s judgment has come as an egg on the faces of those media houses, journalists, and self-proclaimed defense experts who supported the Congress’ propaganda to portray Rafale deal as a scam.  Hopefully, ‘dominant coalition’ would learn some lesson and in future would not derail weapon modernization programme of defense with their cheap politics.