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Journalism of Courage
The Congress today rejected the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarification on the purchase of ‘‘inferior’’ AK-47s from a Bulgarian company, as ‘‘wholly unsatisfactory’’ and sought a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
Party spokesman Kapil Sibal alleged that MHA had not explained why Kintex of Bulgaria was given the contract when it was no longer authorised to supply the rifles to any third party under its licence with the Russian federation. He said the Ministry had also not responded to the allegation that the Bulgarian company had links with international gunrunners as confirmed by the UN Security Council’s 2000 report.
He said it should also explain why the contract was not given to Russian firm M/S Rosoboron Export. He said the only original manufacturer of the AK-47 rifle is Ishmash and Rosoboron Export is the Russian company responsible for trade in armaments and defence equipment.
Sibal alleged that the Home Ministry ignored the Russian company’s offer even though the firm was willing to supply additional equipment. He added that MHA’s claim that the Russian company had given samples of only AK 102/103 was false.
The spokesman claimed that if the same assault rifle were to be bought from the international black market, it would cost $8 in Afghanistan and $4 in Iraq or Libya.
