PM attacks Cong on defence deals, silent on Rafale

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of indulging in scams from “seas to the skies” in defence deals, being bothered only about middlemen who were close to its leaders and casting aspersions on the Army by accusing it of attempting a coup.

Devoting most part of his speech at a rally near Tiruppur to ridicule Opposition parties, Modi termed the grand alliance as “adulterated” and dubbed the grouping as “funny “and a “club of rich people” who neither understand poverty nor have a vision to serve the poor but interested only in promoting their dynasties.

“Those who got the opportunity to rule the nation for years did not bother about India’s defence sector. For them, these sectors were only about brokering deals and helping their set of friends. From the seas to the skies, the Congress had several scams associated with defence deals,” he said.

Though he spoke at length about his government’s efforts to equip the armed forces and how the Congress had mistreated and belittled them, Modi kept mum on Rafale deal on which Opposition parties have smelled a scam and are seeking a reply on why HAL was overlooked for production of Rafale jets and the deal was handed over to Anil Ambani-owned company.

Every middleman who was caught has links with some Congress leader or the other and the party leaves no opportunity to belittle the army, including when the army went across the border to do surgical strikes and had even used “unpardonable language” on the army chief, Modi alleged.

Modi said that Opposition parties’ “political culture” of abusing him can “give them space on television, but elections are fought on one’s vision for the nation and not on slander and attack.”