PM Modi did corruption in Rafale deal: Rahul

JAIPUR: Blaming the NDA government for maintaining silence in Parliament on the Rafale jet deal with France, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday targeted the Centre alleging, "The PM has done corruption in Rafale, and has committed a theft to benefit his business tycoon friend Anil Ambani who has already a debt burden of Rs 45,000 crore."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi. — ANI

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, August 11

Blaming the NDA government for maintaining silence in Parliament on the Rafale jet deal with France, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday targeted the Centre alleging, "The PM has done corruption in Rafale, and has committed a theft to benefit his business tycoon friend Anil Ambani who has already a debt burden of Rs 45,000 crore."

Gandhi announced if the Congress wins 2019 general elections, Goods and Service Tax (GST) would be simplified and its seven slabs would be brought to one slab, besides petrol and diesel would be brought under it.

"I appeal youth and Congress workers to go to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and BJP leaders and ask them why their leader committed theft and corruption in the Rafale contract by buying one plane at a higher cost of Rs 1,600 crore through a contract given to Ambani via France," he said at a delegates' meet here after a 13-km roadshow from airport to Ramlila Ground.

"When I was speaking on the Rafale issue during the debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not reply to me in Parliament. When I tried to make an eye contact with Narendra Modiji, he looked the other way. People of Rajasthan shall ask this very pertinent question to BJP ministers and leaders during coming assembly polls later this year," Gandhi said.

"The UPA government had moved a proposal of making the 126 indigenous plane by HAL at a cost of Rs 520 crore per plane so that thousands of engineers could get jobs in HAL and its subsidiaries, but Modiji went to France with his business friend Anil Ambani, who has a debt burden of Rs 45,000 crore, and made a contract with a company which came into existence 7 days before the contract. France had given contract to Ambani's company making one plane at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore and there is no job opportunity to young Indian engineers anywhere," Gandhi claimed.

Modi promised about 2 crore new jobs four years ago when came to power, but India is lagging behind China which provides 50,000 jobs in 24 hours, he said, adding whereas the NDA government provides only 450 new jobs per day.

Similarly in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has not given the jobs as it was mentioned in the manifesto when it came to power. It is not able to give power supply of 5 hours to students in villages so that they could study, he said.