“Conspiracies have been hatched to instigate people. Many hours of Parliament’s work have been wasted on this (Raffaele affair). No matter how big the falsehood or how often or by whom it is told, the truth always trumps the lies,” Prime Minister Modi said, without naming Congress, after inaugurating HAL’s greenfield helicopter manufacturing facility in Karnataka which is the largest in India.
“It is Hindustan Aeronautics Limited itself, used as a pretext to raise charges against our government, which is increasing self-sufficiency in the defence sector. Today, HAL Helicopter Factory exposed the lies and disinformation spread about it,” Prime Minister Modi said after the inauguration at Bidarehalla kaval in Gubbi taluk of Tumakuru district.
In 2017-18, Congress attacked the Modi government over the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal, alleging corruption and favouritism.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurates HAL’s greenfield helicopter factory in Karnataka
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had accused Narendra Modi’s government of “snatching” the Rafale offset contract from HAL by pressurizing French firm Dassault Aviation and “giving it away” to Anil Ambani’s company.
However, the Supreme Court rejected petitions against the Rafale affair in 2018 and even rejected a review of the ruling in November 2019.
Modi recalled laying the foundation stone of HAL Helicopter Factory in 2016, which opened on that day, with a determination to minimize India’s defense imports.
“We must minimize our dependence on foreign countries for our defense needs. Now, hundreds of defense equipments are manufactured in India. Investments in aerospace in the last eight to nine years are five times higher than in the period than 15 years before 2014 Over the past eight years, we have strengthened the work of public sector defense companies and also opened the door to the private sector,” he stressed.
HAL is likely to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the 3-15 ton range, with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a 20-year period, at this facility spread over 615 acres of land, the officials said. The factory will initially produce light helicopters.
Among those present at the occasion were Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior Defense Ministry officials.
