Riflenade aoe wasnt buffed. it is now simply easy to see where the grenade will land and how many men will be affected by it, and the rest is nonsense, molotovs excel at cc rifles at long range that doesnt make the other better or worse, In fact comparing them is retarded.
If in game version A the ability have a chance to miss and in game version B the same ability no longer can miss and will hit 100% of the time then its by a definition called a buff.
This is exactly what happened to rifle nade and every other nade, they were buffed.
Simple concept really, but I can see how you might have problems grasping at it.
Oh and they both have one role in common-countering HMGs, yet one greatly excels over the other that its not even funny. Obviously you will deny everything, as long as its the german counterpart that excels, which it is, because it grants instant effect after which HMG will die or have to return to base, without taking any losses or risks as opposed to molotoving cons.