Vivek Raghuvanshi
NEW DELHI — The $8.9 billion deal for the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft from France will likely be delayed due to a AgustaWestland bribery scandal and a cautious government in India.
"The Ministry of Law and Justice has made certain observations (on the Rafale acquisition) and the same will be taken into account while finalizing the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), which is still under negotiation," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament on May 3.
Parrikar said bilateral negotiations on the Rafale deal have not been finalized.
"We are currently examining the observations made by the Ministry of Law and Justice and no timeline can be set aside," said a Ministry of Defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He would not elaborate on the Ministry of Law and Justice's "observations."
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