India chose Anil Ambani for Rafale deal: Hollande

Former French President Francois Hollande's purported remarks that India proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as an offset partner for Dassault in the Rafale deal kicked up a political storm on Friday putting the Narendra Modi government under renewed Opposition fire.

French media outlet 'Mediapart' quoted Hollande that his government "did not have any say" in choosing Ambani's company and the "Indian government proposed this service group and Dassault negotiated with Ambani".

Defence Ministry spokesperson said the report referring to the former French President's statement that the insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. "It is reiterated that neither the GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision," the spokesperson tweeted.

Mediapart quoted Hollande as saying, "We did not have a say in this...The Indian government proposed this service group, and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have the choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us."

His statement to a French media outlet 'Mediapart' runs counter to Defence Minister Nirmala Seetharaman's remarks that Dassault, the maker of Rafale jets, alone selected Reliance as its partner.

Congress led the Opposition charge against Modi government as it tweeted, "former President of France Francois Hollande exposes the web of lies spun by the Modi government. The Modi government compelled Dassault to tie up with the Reliance group."

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the Defence Minister has been "called out again" and "this time by then President of France". "In the NDA negotiated Rafale aircraft deal, we have got no aircraft, we have got only lies. What is the new lie that the government will put out in response to Mr Hollande?"

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Modi government has "lied and misled" Indians. "The whole truth must come out now. Why was the Indian government batting for one corporate house with no experience in defence manufacture?" he tweeted.

"This is very startling. The Prime Minister should answer why he insisted on Anil Ambani. What is the relationship between the Prime Minister and Anil Ambani," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

The Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi have been vociferous about the government-to-government deal for buying 36 Rafale jets from French firm Dassault. They and other opposition parties have been claiming that Ambani's firm was chosen in a corrupt manner.