After Rafale Deal, Modi Accused of Corruption in Predator Drone Deal
After Rafale Deal, Modi Accused of Corruption in Predator Drone Deal
The Predator drone deal is one such deal which has been forced upon Modi, as he easily succumbs to pressure when faced with allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.
By Rakesh Raman
The prime minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi – who has been facing a series of corruption allegations in multiple deals – is now allegedly involved in the dubious purchase of Predator drones from the U.S.
In a press conference held today (June 28), a Congress leader Pawan Khera revealed that Modi has secretly decided to buy 31 Predator drones for US$ 3 billion or Rs 25,000 crore.
Khera adds that as usual Modi has taken the decision unilaterally without following the statutory purchase procedure and the drones being purchased by Modi come with obsolete technology. Moreover, there is no transfer of technology to India.
A Twitter thread explains how Modi overpays for drones and the possibility of huge corruption in the deal. It is said that the U.S. Air Force pays US$ 56.5 million per Predator drone and the U.K. paid only US$ 12.5 million per drone. But Modi has decided to pay a whopping US$ 110 million per drone. The overpayment is corruption money.
The deal was finalized during Modi’s recent visit to the U.S. on the invitation of the U.S. President Joe Biden. It is reported that Modi was forced to accept the deal in return to his visit to the U.S.
Congress asserts that the Modi government is paying almost double the actual price of MQ-9B Predator drones manufactured by General Atomics, adding that the U.S. purchased these drones at much lesser price.
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Therefore, corruption or financial irregularities in this deal cannot be ruled out and in all probability Biden is aware of this possible wrongdoing.
The drone deal handled by Modi surreptitiously is similar to the Rafale deal in which it is alleged that Modi embezzled thousands of crores of rupees or billions of dollars.
Although corruption in the Rafale deal is being investigated in French courts, the Supreme Court of India brushed the case under the carpet as Indian courts cannot dare to take any decision that may displease Modi.
In order to gain legitimacy for his actions in Gujarat riots and his ongoing despotism, Modi is squandering huge public money to buy foreign products and services which are not actually required in India. In other words, Modi is bribing the politicians such as Biden to buy their silence on his crimes.
The U.S., in fact, exploits corruption and human rights abuses in India for its commercial interests, as the U.S. believes that India is a big market for its products and services.
The modus operandi of the U.S. leaders is to subtly intimidate Modi with the accusations of corruption and human rights violations, and then force him to buy obsolete American products or services worth billions of dollars.
LIVE: Congress party briefing by Shri @Pawankhera at AICC HQ. https://t.co/yJ4HOsoAwM
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 28, 2023
The Predator drone deal is one such deal which has been forced upon Modi, as he easily succumbs to pressure when faced with allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.
Modi does not want his U.S. visa to be revoked, as it was done after the Gujarat massacre in which he was the main accused. So, he easily signs deals proposed by foreign leaders and wastes Indian public money to accomplish those deals.
Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) colleagues are facing serious allegations of corruption in multiple cases. These cases include the PM-CARES Fund case, Rafale corruption case, Sri Lanka energy project case involving Gautam Adani’s group, as Adani is a close capitalist friend of Modi, Modi-Adani collusion case, Sahara-Birla payoff case, and a number of other cases in which Modi’s party colleagues are allegedly involved.
In this particular Predator drone deal, there is a possibility of Modi’s collusion with Biden as both need huge campaign money for their respective elections in 2024.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He has also launched the “Power Play: Lok Sabha Election 2024 in India” editorial section to cover the news, events, and other developments related to the 2024 election.
