“The response of the then Defence Minister was very clear… Under the direction of the same Defence Secretary, who was also the member of the negotiating committee, with his signature the file went to the Cabinet Committee on Security for approval,” she said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had addressed the concerns raised by officials over the Rafale negotiations. Mr. Parrikar’s noting in the letter was initially made public by the news agency ANI. Commenting on Mr. Parrikar’s role in the negotiations, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “The then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was clueless about the progress of negotiations. Further, Mr. Parrikar’s comment that the PMO might be “monitoring the progress of issues” strengthens arguments that the interference may have adversely affected the INT’s leverage.

Source: The Hindu February 08, 2019 10:08 UTC