AICC President Rahul Gandhi has turned Modi’s government’s revised Rafale fighter aircraft deal into an election issue in poll bound Karnataka. He alleged that the Modi government has stolen jobs meant for Bengaluru’s youth, by taking away the deal from Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL).
On the first day of his Karnataka election rally, while addressing a gathering in north Karnataka’s Hospet, Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi gave the Rafale fighter aircraft contract to his friends and has since kept mum on the deal.
The biggest corruption case in the country is the Rafale deal… Modi went to France and changed the existing contract. The earlier contract was with HAL, a company that made planes for the country for 80 years and helped Bengaluru, but he gave the contract to his friends.Rahul Gandhi
‘Modi Drives Looking at the Rear-View Mirror’
Training his guns at the prime minister, Rahul Gandhi said that in his recent hour-long speech in Parliament, Modi didn’t speak about the future of the country. “He didn’t talk about jobs for the youths or relief for the farmers. Instead, he spoke about the Congress and the past. The country doesn't want to hear about past from a PM, but they want to hear about their future," he said.
He took the argument of the PM mulling over the past a step further, saying that Modi is driving with his eyes on the rear-view mirror. “When Siddaramaiah drives a car, he drives looking in front, but when Modi drives his car, he looks at the rear-view mirror," said Gandhi.
‘Modi Should Learn from Siddaramaiah’
Further enforcing the strategy of pitting Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against Narendra Modi, instead of BJP’s CM candidate Yeddyurappa, ahead of the Karnataka polls, Rahul Gandhi said that Modi should learn from Siddaramaiah. “He looks ahead. He doesn't look for excuses. He waives farm loans, gives canteens in the cities and helps the minorities,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Karnataka government has spent half of the money for the SC-ST communities than central government. “Under the SCP (Schedule Class Plan) and TSP (Tribal Sub Plan) the BJP government gives the whole country Rs 55,000 crore, but Siddaramaiah, in one state, gives Rs 27,000 crore,” he said.
“Modi has said in the Parliament that most number of jobs are created in Karnataka,” said Rahul Gandhi, who then challenged the Prime Minister by asking, “Siddaramaiah has done his job, when will you do yours?”
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