In a hard-hitting speech targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the senior leaders of the BJP were afraid to lose power.
“The difference between all of us and the Prime Minister and the president of the BJP is whereas we are okay to lose power, we can see ourselves being in power and out of power, for reasons that everybody knows here, the Prime Minister and the president of the BJP can simply not afford to lose power because the moment they lose power, other processes will start against them…This fear generates anger. It is this anger that the whole of India is feeling,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Rafale deal
Earlier, raising the alleged corruption in the purchase of Rafale fighter aircraft, the Congress chief said, “I have no hesitation in saying that... under pressure from the Prime Minister, [Defence Minister] Nirmala Sitharaman spoke untruth to the people. Who are being helped? Nirmala ji, PM ji, please tell the country,” Mr. Gandhi said.
When the remarks drew sharp protests from BJP members including the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and the Defence Minister who accused the Congress leader of misleading the House, he made a counter allegation.
“I have said it clearly that the Prime Minister can’t look into my eyes. At times, he is looking here, at other times, he is looking there…No matter how much you shout, the country has seen this moment. The country has now understood that the Prime Minister is not a chowkidaar (watchman) but a bhagidaar (collaborator),” Mr. Gandhi alleged.
Repeating the accusation that the BJP’s politics was spreading “anger and hatred”, Mr Gandhi accused the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah of “acting out of fear.”
Claiming that not just Opposition leaders but many BJP MPs had congratulated him for his speech during a short adjournment, Mr Gandhi claimed that “together they will defeat the BJP and PM Modi in 2019.”
Congress Lok Sabha MP Rajeev Satav said Mr Gandhi had talked about causing an earthquake inside Parliament and Friday's speech was one.
Ceding ground
On foreign policy, the Congress chief accused the Prime Minister of letting down the Indian soldiers by refusing to talk about Doklam to the Chinese President. He also accused the Modi government of being pro-rich as it was willing to write off debts worth ₹2.5 lakh crore of 15-20 industrialists but not farm loans.
Raising the issue of mob violence against Dalits and minorities and how ministers in the government had garlanded some accused, Mr Gandhi asked, “Don’t the Dalits and minorities belong to this country?”
