Rahul Gandhi raises Chowkidar slogan; promises to make Rafale in India

SIHORA (MP): Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday once again raised the slogan “Chowkidar chor hai”, and promised that if voted to power, his party would ensure that Rafale fighter jets are manufactured in India.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi waves at party supporters during an election campaign for Lok Sabha polls, at Sihora in Jabalpur district. PTI

Sihora (MP), April 23

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday once again raised the slogan “Chowkidar chor hai”, and promised that if voted to power, his party would ensure that Rafale fighter jets are manufactured in India.

He was addressing a rally at Sihora in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

“This is a beautiful slogan. Chowkidar...,” he said. To which the people replied “chor hai”.

The Congress chief reiterated his allegation that for the benefit of industrialist Anil Ambani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “gave Rs 30,000 crore” to the former’s company.

The price of the fighter jet increased from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore under the contract signed by the Modi government, and the contract to manufacture the jets was given to Ambani’s firm instead of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), he further alleged.

“If Congress is voted to power, I will ensure that Rafale jets are made in India and not in France. The new deal will protect the interest of India and not of France,” the Congress chief said.

He also dared Modi to hold a debate on the Rafale deal and corruption in the country.

Had the Rafale jets been made in India, Jabalpur, which has an ordnance factory, would have benefitted and over one lakh youths would have got jobs, Gandhi claimed.

Due to demonetisation and flawed implementation of the GST, people’s purchasing power diminished, leading to small and medium-scale firms shutting down or cutting jobs, he said.

“The money I will recover from people like Anil Ambani will be used for Nyay scheme, where every eligible family will get Rs 72,000 annually,” the Congress president said, referring to his party’s promised minimum income scheme.

The Congress president on Monday had expressed “regret” in the Supreme Court over his remarks in connection with the Rafale judgment.

The court on April 15 had stated that in its Rafale verdict there was no occasion for it to make a mention of the contemptuous observation that “chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hain” as has been claimed by Gandhi. — PTI