April 19, 2026 05:27 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Pushback from smartphone makers: Centre drops Aadhaar app pre-install plan — report | Meta eyes first wave of layoffs on May 20: Report | TCS breaks silence on Nida Khan: ‘No HR role, no power’ in Nashik case | ‘Panic reaction’: Rahul Gandhi on women’s bill, says PM Modi ‘wants to send a message’ | Adani Group shares rise as Gautam Adani becomes Asia’s richest, overtakes Mukesh Ambani | TCS Nashik ‘conversion’ case accused seeks anticipatory bail citing pregnancy | IT raids TMC candidate Debasish Kumar’s premises ahead of Bengal polls | Bengal SIR: Supreme Court allows voters restored by tribunal till April 21 and 27 to vote | 'Women won't spare you': PM Modi warns Opposition over resistance to quota bill | Vijay booked in 3 cases over poll code violation ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

Rafale deal: Congress president Rahul Gandhi meets HAL employees

| @indiablooms | Oct 13, 2018, at 06:11 pm

Bangalore, Oct 13 (IBNS): Amid controversies surrounding the Rafale fighter jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met employees of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL in Bangalore.

Attacking the Centre, Gandhi said public sectors are the 'temples' of modern India.

"Public Sectors are the temples of modern India. We cannot allow them to be destroyed. If somebody thinks they can build their future on your graves, that cannot be allowed. We are going to fight for your future," Gandhi said.


"Defence Minister says HAL does not have the capability. What capability does the private individual have? I can see the 70+ years of progress made by HAL," he said.
    
Gandhi said he wanted to apologise HAL employees on behalf of the Indian government over the developments related to the Rafale deal.

He said: "I want to commit to you that Public Sector is the backbone of the country and its Defence Forces."

Mediapart's article reinforces the explosive statement by former French president Francois Hollande last month that France did not have a choice in selecting Anil Ambani's rookie defence company for the offset clause in which  Dassault has to ensure that business worth at least half the deal's worth -- Rs.30,000 crore -- is generated in India. Dassault had said even then that the decision was its own.


 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.