Sunday, May 05, 2024 | Last Update : 06:01 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi asks PM Narendra Modi to break his silence
Says that Hollande’s remarks shows ‘clear cut’ corruption in Rafale jet deal.
New Delhi: A day after former French President Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government had chosen Reliance Defence the Indian partner for the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that the Fre-nch leader’s remarks showed “clear cut” corruption in the defence deal and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the issue.
Asking the Prime Minister to come clean on allegations of favouring Reliance Defence as “It is a question of dignity of his office”, Mr Gandhi said, “Former French President calls our PM a thief. What is staggering is that the PM is still silent on it. It is very important for the PM now to either accept Mr Hollande’s statement or state that Mr Hollande is lying and tell (us) what the truth is.” Claiming that there is “clear-cut corruption” in the Rafale deal, Mr Gandhi told reporters, “It is now up to the Prime Minister to clear his name. We are absolutely convinced that the Prime Minister is corrupt. This question is now clearly settled in the minds of the Indian people that - the country’s watchman is a thief.”
The Congress chief's blistering attack on Mr Modi came a day after Mr Hollande was quoted as saying by French media that the Indian government proposed Anil Amb-ani’s Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal. Mr Gandhi claimed that various defence ministers of the NDA government have been lying to protect Mr Modi and reiterated the Congress’ dem-and for constituting a Joint Parliamentary Co-mmittee (JPC) on the procurement of Rafale fighter jets. He further added that, if need be, the JPC can also call the former French President.
Earlier, the Congress president had alleged that Mr Modi and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a Rs 130,000 crore “surgical strike” on India’s defence forces.
“The PM and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a one hundred and thirty thousand crore surgical strike on the Indian defence forces. Modi Ji you dishonoured the blood of our martyred soldiers. Shame on you. You betrayed India’s soul,” he tweeted.
