After Moily Calls Air Force Chief A Liar, Senior Congress Leader Chidambaram Asks Military To Stay Out Of Rafale Debate

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday, 21 December, asked the Army and Air Force to remain out of the Rafale debate. ANI quoted him as saying, “We are not questioning the Air Force Chief, we are humbly requesting the Army and Air Force to stay out of this debate as no one is doubting the capability of the aircraft, questions are being raised on the deal.”

This comes just a day after Veerappa Moily embraced controversy by launching an attack on Indian Air Force Chief B S Dhanoa, accusing him of lying about the deal.

Financial Express quoted Moily as saying, “The IAF chief visited HAL a few days prior to this agreement (with Dassault). He came down to Bengaluru along with the Dassault chief. I was informed it is a competent body and they have the expertise to say it is fine. I think the IAF chief is not fine... He is lying, he is suppressing the truth, he is a party to the suppressing of truth.”

Retracting the statement made earlier, he said, “The question is, is he justifying it on the basis of the Supreme Court judgement which is flawed? In the light of this, whether the IAF chief can again certify that this is fine. I am asking him that question. I never called him a liar. If this HAL is fine... Both of them cannot be fine,” Financial Express reported.