‘It’s like chasing a ghost that does not exist’

Defending the Mirage deal he oversaw in September 2000 as Defence Secretary, T R Prasad today said that South Block’s policies were ver...

Defending the Mirage deal he oversaw in September 2000 as Defence Secretary, T R Prasad today said that South Block’s policies were very categorical and there was no room for error when the order for 10 Mirage-2000 fighters was signed.

He said the Paris court verdict was very clear and, therefore, scrutiny of the matter was ‘‘like chasing a ghost that does not exist.’’

Prasad told The Indian Express: ‘‘The deal was signed with the pre-condition that Dassault would give us written assurance that no middlemen had been involved. And they did. No deal could otherwise go through. This misguided controversy will only serve to delay talk of more possible purchases.’’

The RJD’s key face and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav, party supremo Lalu Yadav’s son, will again contest from his stronghold Raghopur.

Amid Mahagathbandhan crisis, RJD unveils list of 143, drops 36 MLAs, focuses on ‘M-Y’

Political Pulse3 hr ago

The RJD, lead player of the Mahagathbandhan, released its full list of 143 candidates for the November Bihar Assembly elections. Its key face Tejashwi Yadav will contest from Raghopur, and 41 sitting MLAs have been renominated. The party has dropped 36 sitting MLAs and fielded young leaders, signaling a bid to consolidate its core Muslim-Yadav vote base. The Congress has fielded 60 candidates.

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