Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress members today staged a protest outside Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's residence here, accusing the government of favouring Anil Ambani's Reliance Group through the Rafale jet fighter deal, police said.
Around 100 protesters gathered outside Sitharaman's residence at Safdarjung Road between 4 pm and 4.30 pm, and 23 of them were later detained at the Tughlak Road police station.
They were released around 6.45 pm, police added.
The protesters alleged that the Rafale contract, which was to be given to state-owned Aerospace and Defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, established for over 50 years, was all of a sudden given to Reliance Defence Ltd.
"Is it a mere coincidence that just a few days prior to the signing of the deal between India and France, this Reliance Defence Ltd was established and a coincidence that this valuable contract of manufacturing 36 Dassault Rafale twin-engine fighter jets was handed to 'Modi-Ambani Reliance Defence Ltd'?" a statement from them said.
They demanded an answer from the defence minister over escalation of costs of Rafale fighter jets under the NDA government.