Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman countered the Congress allegations of denying HAL jobs which could have come from the Rafale deal.

Addressing reporters here, she asked whether there was any agreement between HAL and Dassault during the UPA rule.

An irate Sitharaman claimed that the entire campaign around Rafale was on falsehood and half-truths. She added that the UPA had ignored the desperation of the Indian Air Force.

Sitharaman also said that between 2006-2010 only eight annual orders for LCA could be done by HAL. “Now we have doubled it to 16,” she said.

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