Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Taking the Rafale row to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 14 February, claimed that even a former French president agrees that the 'chowkidar' (watchman), is a term he often uses for PM Modi.
Gandhi also alleged that Modi conducted "parallel negotiations" with Dassault Aviation, the company which makes Rafale, on the multi-billion dollar fighter jet deal.
Addressing a rally at Dharampur in Gujarat's Valsad district, Gandhi attacked the NDA government's Rs 6,000 a year income support scheme for farmers, saying a Congress government would offer a better scheme for the poor.
The rally was mostly attended by members of local tribal communities. The Congress chief repeated his refrain "Chowkidar Chor Hai" (the watchman is a thief) to attack Modi.
As he said "Chowkidar" and paused, the audience chanted "Chor Hai". He then asked people to say it in Gujarati, ("Chor Chhe"), making them chant the slogan with him.
"The slogan ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ is also famous in France, and even a former French president says ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’," he said.
Gandhi was apparently referring to former France President Francois Hollande's reported claim that the French government had no role in choosing industrialist Anil Ambani's company as an offset partner.
Gandhi also accused Modi of being a "middleman" of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal.
"There is a demand from all over the country that farmers' loans should be waived. But Narendra Modi and (Arun) Jaitley have rejected that demand. You do not want to waive farmers' loans but on the other hand you waive Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big industrialists," Gandhi alleged.
He ridiculed the income support scheme for farmers announced in the interim Union budget, under which farmers with small land holding will get Rs 6,000 per year.
He also took a swipe at the Bharat Mala road connectivity scheme of the Modi government. "Bharat Mala is ‘Bharat Mara’ (India killed) scheme. It is killing Bharat as the government is acquiring lands of farmers and tribals," he said.
The government and Anil Ambani have been vehemently denying the allegations of any wrongdoing in the deal. A CAG report says the deal negotiated by the NDA government was cheaper than the earlier one initiated when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
(With inputs from PTI)
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