Yechury's remarks come in the backdrop of a news report which claimed that the NDA's decision to buy 36 aircraft instead of the 126 asked for by the Indian Air Force pushed the price of each jet up by 41.42 per cent compared to what the previous UPA government had negotiated.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday alleged that the deal for 36 Rafale jets with France by the Narendra Modi government was done for the benefit of his crony businessman.

Yechury's remarks come in the backdrop of a news report which claimed that the NDA's decision to buy 36 aircraft instead of the 126 asked for by the Indian Air Force pushed the price of each jet up by 41.42 per cent compared to what the previous UPA government had negotiated.

"Modi's sudden announcement in Paris, to buy only 36 Rafale jets, not 126 that the Air Force wanted, violated all procedure. But it also compromised India's national security and increased the price by 41%! That is why Modi has been running scared of sharing details," Yechury said in a tweet, citing the media report.

He said the CPI(M) had long demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the deal but the government had blocked all such efforts.