'This is Our Faith': Rajpath singh Defends Performing 'Shastra Puja' For Rafale Jets Amid Controversy
Paris, Oct 08: Defence Minister Mr.Rajnath Singh was on Tuesday handed over the rest of 36 Rafale fighter jets at Dassault's facility in Mérignac near Bordeaux, France. india and france have inked a deal in September 2016 for procurement of 36 jets at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.
Singh took a sortie in the brand new Dassault made the aircraft. He was own by Philippe Duchateau, head test pilot of Dassault Aviation. Singh sat in the rear cockpit while the French pilot ew the customized Rafale fighter jet with tail number RB-01.
This is not the first time that Singh is taking a sortie in a fighter aircraft. Last month, he took a sortie in LCA Tejas. Raj Nath Singh attended the handover ceremony along with his French counterpart Florence Parly at aircraft maker Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac, Zone southwestern France.
The minister performed a brief Shastra Puja (a custom followed during dussehra festival) on the new aircraft as he emblazoned it with an 'Om' tilak and laid owers and a coconut...
