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New Delhi: Criticising the terms of the proposed drone deal with the US for 31 MQ-9B drones estimated at $3 billion, the Congress Wednesday alleged that it was another “Rafale scam” in the making and that the proposal entails India procuring the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at four times the price paid for each by other countries.
“Things that happened in the Rafale deal are being repeated in the procurement of predator drones. Drones which were bought by other countries at a price four times lower, we are spending Rs 880 crore per drone on them. We have bought 31 drones for Rs 25,000 crore,” alleged Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress’s media and publicity wing.
Dismissing claims about India buying ‘overpriced drones’ as “speculative”, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had in a statement issued Sunday said that the “price and other terms of conditions of the purchase are yet to be finalised and subject to negotiations”.
New Delhi and Washington announced a proposed deal for 31 General Atomics MQ-9B High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs, also known as Predator-B drones, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently concluded ‘official state visit’. As part of the deal, it was agreed upon that the procured drones will be assembled in India.
Of the 31 drones, the Navy is expected to get 15 Sea Guardian drones, while the Army and the IAF will get eight each Sky Guardian drones.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi Wednesday, Khera referred to the predator drones as “outdated technology”, adding that the US “does not even use these drones anymore”.
“Drones which are outdated in terms of technology are being bought at a price which is four times higher (than previous procurements). You are not even taking the full technology, then why are you giving Rs 25,000 crore? Is there one Pegasus (spyware) free with each drone? Is there any deal about electoral bonds with each drone?”
LIVE: Congress party briefing by Shri @Pawankhera at AICC HQ. https://t.co/yJ4HOsoAwM
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 28, 2023
Khera’s reference was aimed at a report by The New York Times from last year which suggested that India bought Pegasus — military-grade spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO — as part of a defence deal with Israel.
During the press conference, Khera also alleged that the top management of General Atomics has ties to someone in the Modi government.
“Who is the director (of the deal)? Because the company from which these drones are bought, General Atomics, the CEO of that company has deep and intimate relations with someone in Prime Minister Modi’s government, as we all know,” he alleged.
Khera referred to that person as ‘Drone-acharya’ — a reference to the character of Dronacharya from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
Also Read: Inside story of why India’s military worked to push mega US drone deal
‘Rs 25,000 cr dinner?’
Questioning the state dinner hosted by US President Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden for PM Modi, Khera asked, “We have also had dinners abroad, as have you. But have you ever had a dinner where the country has to give Rs 25,000 crore? That’s why we want to know who is behind the drones.”
Khera also criticised Modi for announcing the proposed drone procurement deal without the nod of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which comprises the PM, the defence minister, the Union home and finance ministers, and the minister of external affairs.
He asked if this proposed deal was ‘not reminiscent of the Rafale deal in which Modi unilaterally signed a deal for 36 Rafale aircraft without the knowledge of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) or the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’.
“If we get answers to all of these questions, only then will the country be satisfied that this is not a scam. Otherwise, as of today, all the signs are there that this is blowing up into a huge scam,” he said.
Further, he has sought details from the central government about funds allocated to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the development of indigenous drones. “What happened to ‘Make in India’? DRDO was given Rs 1,786 crore for the development of ‘Rustom’ and ‘Ghatak’ drones. You gave Rs 1,786 crore to DRDO and then you went to America and gave them Rs 25,000 crore for drones,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Congress party, Khera also alleged that the proposed deal for procurement of 31 HALE UAVs was announced despite the Indian Air Force (IAF) expressing reservations about the drones’ “skyrocketing prices”.
“Our Air Force demanded 18 drones and they are being given 31,” he said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: From jet engines to drones, space and 6G – Big takeaways from PM Modi’s US visit
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