Tell people who released JeM Chief, Rahul dares Modi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi waves at the crowd at 'Parivarthana' rally organised by the party at Municipal High School Ground in Haveri on Saturday. Party's leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Kolar MP K H Muniyappa, Water Resources Minister D K S

Charging that the BJP government at the Centre had failed to courageously face terrorism and attack by other countries earlier too, Congress president Rahul Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inform the people who released Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azar from the Indian jail and sent him safely to Afghanistan’s’ Kandahar in 1999.

Rahul charged, “The Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack in which 49 CRPF men were killed. But Modi has never said in his speeches that it was the then BJP government at the Centre which had released Masood Azar and had sent him to Pakistan via Kandahar, accompanied by the then Union minister Jaswant Singh and high-level officials. The present National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister Ajit Doval was also with the team”.

Sounding the bugle for the Lok Sabha elections in the state while addressing the ‘Parivarthan Rally’ of Congress on Saturday, Rahul said the Chinese army occupied Dhoklam when Modi was discussing with Chinese president in Gujarat. Later too, Modi visited China without any agenda for discussion without bothering about the Chinese aggression, he criticised.

“Unlike BJP, the Congress never bends before terrorism and countries that attack us,” he claimed.

He charged that the ‘Chowkidar’ shifted hard-earned money of the common man to a few corporate companies like Ambani and Adani industries and those who fled the country after deceiving the banks here. “All have now started saying that Chowkidar Chor Hai,” he ridiculed.

Referring to the Rafale fighters deal, Rahul said Modi put Rs 30,000 crore into the pocket of (industrialist) Anil Ambani who has no experience of manufacturing jet fighters. Corruption took place in that deal. Modi did not even allow the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) to get this contract which would have created jobs for youth in Karnataka, he remarked.

Rahul charged that Modi wants to create two Indias - one for the rich corporates companies and another for the poor. The Congress is for one India with justice for all and then, people like Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi will go to jail, he added.

Rahul said that Modi is afraid of the Congress’ minimum income guarantee scheme and hence announced Rs 6,000 per year for each farmer’s family in a hurry.

If the Congress comes to power, reservation for women in parliament, state legislatures and simplification of the GST will be among the immediate measures to be taken, he asserted.