Calling the import embargo a “high sounding jargon”, Chidambaram said, “What it means is we will try to make the same equipment (that we import today) in 2 to 4 years and stop imports thereafter!”
Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram took a jibe on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday saying the “import embargo” on defense equipment announced by him was “high sounding jargon” as their only importer was the Defence Ministry.
In a series of tweets, after the announcement by Rajnath Singh that defence ministry will ban the import of 101 defense items, Chidambaram said that the defence minister promised a “bang” on a Sunday morning and ended with a “whimper”.
The Defence Minister promised a ābangā on a Sunday morning and ended with a āwhimperā
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 9, 2020
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said today that the defense ministry will stop the import of 101 items ābeyond given timelineā to boost indigenous production according to Prime Minister Narendra Modiās mission of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India). This may lead to the domestic industry receiving contracts worth almost ā¹ 4 lakh crore within the next six to seven years. The implementation of the embargo will be done in phases during 2020 and 2024, Singh added.
Responding to the announcement, Chidambaram said, “The only importer of defence equipment is the Defence Ministry. Any import embargo is really an embargo on oneself. What the Defence Minister said in his historic Sunday announcement deserved only an Office Order from the Minister to his Secretaries!”
Calling the import embargo a “high sounding jargon”, the former Finance Minister said, “What it means is we will try to make the same equipment (that we import today) in 2 to 4 years and stop imports thereafter!”
The list of banned items includes high technology weapon systems such as āartillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircrafts, light combat helicopters, radars and many other itemsā, the centre informed in a statement.
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