Bengaluru-based defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had become a rallying point in the national discourse in the build-up to the General Elections of 2019 – right from the row over the alleged Rafale scam and the financial woes in the company.
The HAL employees were caught in the political one-upmanship: while opposition Congress was using the downfall of the company to allege crony capitalism by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, the then Defence Minister went to the extent of questioning the credibility of the prestigious PSU. However, as soon as the elections got over, the row over HAL subsided. The problems in HAL have only amplified.
