Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman says allegations relating to Rafale deal 'shameful'

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday rubbished the allegations relating to the procurement deal for 36 Rafale fighter jet, dubbing it as “shameful". She said such bickering would be a "disservice" to the armed forces.

Sitharaman’s statements came after the Congress blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the "entire deal" to benefit a businessman.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalized following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told reporters. The defence minister also called the bickering against the deal as "disservice" to the armed forces, asserting that urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force was the main reason for sealing it.

The defence minister said the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September, 2016, after five rounds of lengthy discussions between Indian and French sides and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

She said the UPA government had sat over the proposed procurement of jets for 10 years.