Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused him of “snatching ₹30,000 crore from the poor and the youth” and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani. Mr. Gandhi is in Amethi on a two-day tour.
A probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee would bring out the truth, he asserted. Mr. Gandhi dared Mr. Modi to explain former French president Francois Hollande’s statement that it was the BJP government that picked Mr. Ambani’s company for the deal.
“The main issue is that the former French President has called Narendra Modiji a thief and now Modiji has to explain why he is calling him a thief,” he told reporters in Amethi.
Four questions
Mr. Gandhi also responded to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s clarification. “Constitute a JPC. All truth will come out... But Narendra Modiji, who is Arun Jaitleyji’s boss, cannot do it. I asked him four questions in Parliament House, he could not answer even one. He gives big speeches, goes to Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan...but he wont utter a word on Rafale and Anil Ambani. He won’t speak because the Chowkidar [Modi] has committed a theft through Anil Ambani.”
Earlier addressing a gathering in Jais, in Amethi, Mr. Gandhi asked Mr. Modi to explain to the nation why the contract for Rafale was snatched away from HAL and given to Mr. Ambani.
10-day-old company
The Amethi MP said Mr. Anil Ambani was handed the contract though his company came into existence only 10 days before the deal was signed. “Anil Ambaniji never made a single aircraft in his life. He has a debt of ₹45,000 crore. We don’t know how Anil Ambaniji figured out he was going to get the contract 10 days before it happened,” said Mr. Gandhi.
Welcome hoardings proclaimed him as a “Shiv Bhakt.” He was also felicitated by kanwariyas. At the event, Mr. Gandhi was seen accepting an image of Lord Shiva gifted by Congress supporters.
