Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday called for fundamental reforms in all defence related procurements in order to address the doubts and common perception over such issues.
She said the Union government may have got relief after the Supreme Court’s order on Rafale deal, but said both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress had been charging each other for irregularities in the fighter aircraft procurement.
Mayawati said to avert controversies, it was essential that fundamental reforms be evolved in all defence related deals in order to address the doubts and perceptions among the common people.
Asserting that allegations of corruption were levelled both against the Congress and the BJP in defence deals raising public doubt, the BSP chief said that both parties were similar as a previous Congress regime had faced charges in Bofors deal and the BJP regime in the Rafale deal.
“In the larger interests of the country, the Union government needs to take main opposition parties into confidence and chalk out a transparent and long-term policy in defence-related procurements and its honest implementation. This will do away with such allegations and help in keeping the image of the party in power and also the nation, clean,” she added.
On Friday, the Supreme Court said there was no occasion to doubt decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal and that there was a necessity of fighter aircraft and the country could not remain without these jets.
Meanwhile, Mayawati removed the BSP’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief Pradeep Ahirwar and also state in-charge Ram Achal Rajbhar. The BSP chief also dissolved the BSP state unit in MP.
The move comes in the wake of BSP’s not-so-good performance in the neighbouring state in recent assembly polls, as it could win only two seats in MP against the four it had bagged last time.