War Memorial Inauguration: PM Modi Targets Congress, Says ‘They’re Trying to Ensure Rafale Jets Don’t Arrive Here’

PM Modi was addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the war memorial.

New Delhi: At the war memorial inauguration, PM Narendra Modi couldn’t miss the opportunity to attack the Congress for questioning his government over the Rafale deal. (Also read: PM Throws ‘First Family or Nation First’ Barb at Congress)

Addressing the gathering, he said, “From Bofors to Helicopter deal, all the investigations are pointing to one family, it says a lot, now these people are making all the efforts to ensure that Rafale aircraft don’t arrive in the country.”

“But when the country’s first Rafale flies for the first time in India’s skies in a few months, it will end all their conspiracies,” he said.

The Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi have been alleging wrongdoing and corruption by the Modi government in the fighter jet deal. But the Centre has vehemently refuted the allegations.

Only last month, Rahul had used former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s purported audio clip to attack the Centre.

Rahul stepped up the attack on the government, first in the Lok Sabha, and then during a press conference, where he dared PM Modi to have a one-on-one debate of just 20 minutes on the Rafale matter, adding that the latter “did not have guts” for a confrontation as he was lying.

Interestingly, NDA constituent Shiv Sena also supported the Opposition’s demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into the Rafale deal, claiming that the aircraft might be good but probably the deal wasn’t.

Questioning the Prime Minister over the Rafale deal, Rahul had said, “Rafale was chosen after eight years of work done by the Indian Air Force (IAF). 126 aircraft were needed but that was chopped down to 36. Why? Did the national security change or did the IAF ask the government that we do not want more planes?

Rahul said that the whole nation is questioning the Prime Minister over the deal and demanded a JPC to probe the deal.