Rahul on Rafale deal: Ex-French Prez is saying PM Modi is a thief

Launching one of the sharpest attacks yet on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has called the PM a thief for the second time within two days. “Country’s chowkidar turned out to be a thief,” said Rahul.

Addressing media at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, Rahul referred to former French President Francois Holland’s statement about the Rafale deal. Hollande had said it was the Indian Government who had proposed Anil Ambani’s company for the Rafale deal and that the French Government and Dassault Aviation, the makers of the Rafale fighter jet, didn’t have any say in this matter. "We took the interlocutor who was given to us, said Hollande.

“For the first time probably in Indian history, an ex-French president is calling our Prime Minister a thief. It is a question of the dignity of the office of Prime Minister. It is the question of the future of our jawans and the Air Force,” said Rahul.

Hitting hard at the PM while questioning his silence over the Rafale deal, Rahul said that the Congress party is absolutely convinced that PM Modi is corrupt. “I am trying to help him protect his office. Because It is a question of the dignity of the office of Prime Minister. He must clarify… What I am surprised with is that PM is completely silent. Not one word has come out from PM’s mouth on this. This is from a President of France, who had a one-to-one meeting with PM where the Rafale deal was decided,” emphasised Rahul.

When asked if the Congress party would cancel the deal if voted to the power, Rahul said that one person cannot take decision arbitrarily in Congress’ government like Modi did in this case. “There is a system in place,” he said.

On the question of demanding PM Modi’s resignation, Rahul however did not say “yes” or “no.” He rather explained how then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar “lied to the nation”. Referring to Parrikar’s successor Nirmala Sitharaman’s contradictory statements, Rahul said, “First, Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman ji said that she will tell the price of the Rafale but later she refused citing secrecy clause…she also claimed that HAL cannot build Rafale that is why the offset contract was given to a 12-day old company. However, her claims were rubbished by a former head of HAL." Anil Ambani has never built an aircraft in his life. He floated his company few days before the deal, yet, the deal was taken away from HAL and given to Anil Ambani, who has a ₹45,000 crore debt, added Rahul.

Pitching for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe, Rahul said, “When I put these facts in front of PM Modi, he couldn’t meet my eye in Parliament.”