Rafale offset deal will help train Indians: Nirmala Sitharaman

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharman on Monday said the offset contract of the Rafale fighter jet deal will help train young people in India.

Speaking at an event on the World Youth Skill Day, the Union minister made an indirect reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge of irregularities in the offset contract of the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet deal, saying that an agreement has been signed in front of everyone to detail what the jet maker Dassault would do as part of the contract. During the event, Dassault Aviation signed an agreement with ITI Nagpur.

“You all know about the discussion on Rafale. No money was given to any ‘bhai’,” the minister said, in a possible reference to charges made by Gandhi against Anil Ambani, whose company signed one of the offset deals. The Centre, Anil Ambani and Dassault have all repeatedly denied the charges.

She said the money from the offset deal was for training purposes and an agreement in this regard had now been signed with Dassault. Dassault is the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets.

Sitharaman also said that during the general elections, a campaign was waged that said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given offset money to someone. “To whom he gave the money? The money is being given to you for training,” she said.

 hindustantimes