The ceremony was be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said “The induction is a very important step in light of the prevailing security conditions that prevail, or I would say, that have been created along India’s borders,”:49

Singh said the IAF plays an important role in maintaining military deterrence and their actions will be decisive in any future war. “While the prevailing situation on our boundaries has caught our attention, we should not ignore the threat of cross-border terrorism,” he added.
IAF chief Bhadauria said the Rafale aircraft can rapidly access all areas of interest due to its deployment.

“What we see is a result of decisive action by the government to break the impasse over the MMRCA deal. Today, the Rafale has been operationally inducted. We are good to go,” he added.
Singh congratulated IAF personnel for the swift and decisive action taken by them near the LAC recently. He said the rapid deployment of IAF assets at forward bases created a trust that our Air Force is fully prepared to meet its operational obligations.

The defence minister reiterated the resolve of not compromising India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under any circumstances, and the country’s determination to make all possible preparations for it.
“The intentions of military are as strong as it can be,” he said.

Singh said strengthening India’s defence is aimed at achieving international peace and stability, adding it does not want to take any step that can endanger international peace.

“We have the same expectation of our neighbours and other countries of the world.”

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 The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment dated 14th November 2019 has categorically stated that the Review Petitions are without any merit and are dismissed.

While dismissing the review petitions, the Court has observed about the petitioners that it does seem that the attempt of the petitioners is to construe themselves as an Appellate Authority to decide each aspect of the contract and call upon the Court to do the same. We do not believe this to be jurisdiction to be exercised 

The Court while upholding the decision-making process has held that “All aspects were considered by the competent authority and the different views expressed considered and dealt with. It would well-nigh become impossible for different opinions to be set out in the record if each opinion was to be construed as to be complied with before the contract was entered into. It would defeat the very purpose of debate in the decision-making process”.

The Court has further elaborated that “there were undoubtedly opinions expressed in the course of the decision-making process, which may be different from the decision taken, but then any decision-making process envisages debates and expert opinion and the last call is with the competent authority, which so exercised it.” (emphasis added)

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In May this year, Gandhi had tendered an unconditional apology for wrongly attributing the slogan to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has also dismissed Rafale review petitions against its 14th December, 2018 judgement upholding the 36 Rafale jets’ deal.

On April 10, while campaigning at a rally, Rahul Gandhi had stated that the Supreme Court order says, “Chowkidar Chor Hai”. This was with reference to SC overruling primary objections raised by the Centre against accepting media reports produced by review petitions. The SC had decided to hear the review petitions on merits.

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi had filed a contempt plea against the statement on which the SC had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi. The court had stated that it has never said so. The SC had allowed the admissibility of three documents in their hearing of the review petitions on the Rafale verdict. Rahul, Congress and the supportive ecosystem had propagated the step as a big victory against the NDA government.

Rahul’s unconditional apology had come after much embarrassment to his reputation and his party as he was made to admit he had said it at ‘the heat of campaigning’.

The Supreme Court had also objected over the affidavit submitted by Rahul Gandhi. CJI Gogoi had stated during a hearing that Rahul admitted wrongly attributing the remark but he stood by it. Later, the SC had also raised an objection of Rahul Gandhi’s affidavits. The court had stated that ‘regret’ is not ‘apology’ and had ordered Rahul to give an unconditional apology

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“The whole country knows there was theft in Rafale deal, people from the defence ministry wrote clearly that PM Modi is interfering in the deal that is why there is guilt. The name ‘Rafale‘ hurts, that is why Rajnath Singh ji went to France to collect Rafale,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi said the “industries are getting shut” in various parts of the country and “PM Narendra Modi has destroyed all the industries”.

You go to Pune, industries are getting shut down. You go to Gujarat, Dharavi, Mumbai anywhere, Narendra Modi has destroyed all the industries,” Rahul Gandhi said.

In an apparent reference to Isro’s lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, Rahul Gandhi said, “Over 40 lakh people are unemployed and they [the government] only talk about the Moon. PM Modi, please speak about unemployment and farmers, or PMC bank scam at least. No, they won’t talk about it.”

“Youths don’t have any future and PM Narendra Modi is going to Corbett National Park and talking about the Moon but he won’t speak at all on the conditions of India.”

“The economy which built by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji, everything is destroyed. Today no one wants to invest in India. Local businessmen are also leaving the country,” Rahul Gandhi said.

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Singh will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss issues on bilateral  defence and security ties.The ceremony to hand over the Rafale jet will take place at a facility of Dassault Aviation, the makers of the plane, in Merignac of Bordeaux.

“The defence minister will take part in the Rafale handing over ceremony at Merignac along with French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly. He will also do the Shastra puja on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami and fly a sortie in the Rafale fighter aircraft,” Defence Ministry Spokesperson Bharat Bhusan Babu said.

Even though the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be receiving the first Rafale fighter jet in France, the  plane will come to India only in next year.“The first four of 36 Rafale jets will come to India by May next year and the plane will definitely enhance the IAF’s combat prowess,” Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said .

In his first press conference after taking charge of the top post on September 30, Bhadauria said the acquisition of the Rafale plane and the S-400 missile systems will give major boost to IAF’s operational  ability.

India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36  Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The plane is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles.

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The Squadron played an important role in Goa Liberation Campaign in December 1961 and was the reserve force during the India-Pakistan 1965 war. When India and Pakistan fought the 1971 war, the Squadron was under the command of Wing Commander N Chatrath. It took part in close air support, counter air and fighter reconnaissance missions. The Squadron was presented ‘Colours’  by the then President of India R Venkataraman in November 1988.

With the IAF retiring MiG-21 variants, the Golden Arrows was number plated (decommissioned) in 2006. But now the squadron will fly the latest fighter in IAF’s arsenal – the 4++ Generation French Rafale combat aircraft.

IAF will officially induct the Rafale on October 8, 2019, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. A government source told ANI news agency that October 8 is auspicious Dusshera and Air Force Day will be celebrated on the same day.

“It gives me immense pleasure to handover the Squadron insignia to Commanding Officer Designate Group Captain Harkirat Singh. The Golden Arrows has been an epitome of professional excellence and dedication. The association of Number 17 Squadron with Ambala has been from its very start when it was formed here in 1951. It has come back to Ambala,” said the IAF Chief on the ocassion. He also inaugurated a Golden Arrows Squadron museum at the air base.

The ‘Golden Arrows’ was raised on October 1, 1951, at Ambala with the Harvard IIB trainer aircraft. The Squadron’s first commnader was Flight Lieutenant DL Springett. It later got its first jet fighter de Havilland Vampire by November 1955. Later British Hawker Hunters were part of its fleet and in 1975 the Squadron converted to Russian MiG-21s. ACM Dhanoa as a Wing Commander had commanded the ‘Golden Arrows’ during the 1999 Kargil War and even flew several sorties to bomb the Pakistani intruders perched on the mountains as part of Operation ‘Safed Sagar’.

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