Chandigarh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been facing criticism from the opposition ever since he went to Paris and performed Shastra Puja (weapon worship) of the first Rafale fighter jet in France.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had strongly hit at Singh saying that he had gone to Paris to receive the first Rafale jet because there was “guilt” in the minds of BJP leaders over the multi-crore deal.
“It seems the Rafale deal is still hurting the BJP. Why else would Rajnath Singh go to France to receive the first jet?” Gandhi had said.
Attacking back on Gandhi’s remarks Singh asked, “When I wrote Om on the Rafale jet, people said why did he write. I would like to ask Rahul Gandhi if not Om what should I have written on the aircraft.”
After receiving the jet from France on behalf of the Indian Air Force, the minister performed a puja, inscribed it with an Om tilak.
The opposition hastily made it a controversy claiming that there were irregularities in the Rafale deal.