Janjivan Bureau / Bidar : Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the Rafale aircraft deal issue. The Congress has raised several questions on the Rafale deal, accusing the government of compromising with national interests.
“…let a debate happen between me and Narendra Modi on Rafael deal…I will speak at length for hours,” Gandhi said at “Jana Dwani” (people’s voice) rally organised by the state Congress here in north Karnataka.
In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Gandhi said, “Chowkidar hi bhaagidar hai. (This watchman is a collaborator),” and accused the PM of “stealing” taxpayers’ money and giving it to his “friend” whose firm, he alleged, had bagged a contract in the Rafale deal.
Focusing most of his speech on targeting Modi, the Congress chief claimed that he is “not the prime minister of the country but of 15 super-rich businessmen”.
India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
Gandhi also hit out at Modi on the incidents of rape saying the PM gave the slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ but he did not say as from whom the girl child be saved.
“Rape happens in Uttar Pradesh and a BJP leader is caught. When small girls in Bihar are raped, we see BJP leaders hanging around there. However, the PM does not speak a word on it,” he said.
