We deliberately not allowed any middleman coming into South Block: Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, Jan 19: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered a lecture on "India's Strategic Interest in Context of the Rafale Deal" organised by the foundation for Public Awareness and Policy in New Delhi.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Between 2014 and today, in the purchases (in defence), including the ones done by Manohar Parrikar and Arun Jaitley, we deliberately not had any middleman coming into the corridors of South Block."

"If their intention is to sabotage even this procurement (Rafale), to stop the purchase even now, that's the icing on the cake as regards disservice to the nation. Icing on the cake is a wrong expression but just the cruel last hit towards serving this nation," said the minister.

She went on to say that Chief of Air Force was called a liar by our opponents for just calling the Rafale a good aircraft. "He didn't say he loves PM Modi or he likes BJP. He just said it is a damn good aircraft, that's his business to say, " added Nirmala Sitharaman.