All campaigns against Rafale deal must end after SC judgement: Prasad

Ravi Shankar Prasad

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's judgement in the Rafale fighter jet deal and urged that all campaigns against the Rafale deal must end now as the country's strategic interest is more important.

The apex court dismissed all the petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar defence deal.

"I am very happy that today the Supreme Court has given the decision, upholding the entire Rafale deal.

"...I would only urge one thing, that all campaigns against Rafale must end now because the country's strategic interest is more important," Prasad said on the sidelines of an event organised by industry body CII.

He further said that the country needed effective fighter planes to reinforce the strength of the Air Force. "This has been pending for a long time."

"The entire deal was completely fair, transparent and honest," Prasad asserted.

The Congress has been alleging that the government had put pressure on Dassault Aviation to select Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Ltd (RDL) as its offset partner. The government, RDL and Dassault Aviation rejected the charges.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said there is a necessity for fighter aircraft and the country cannot remain without the jets.

The CJI, who read out the judgement for the three-judge bench, said no reasons were found to interfere in the procurement process for the fighter jets.

The verdict was pronounced on a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the deal.

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