Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
Ahead of the no-confidence motion scheduled for 6 pm, Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a fiery attack on the Narendra Modi-led central government in the Lok Sabha on Friday, 20 July. He listed a number of 'jumlas’ he claims Modi had lied about, adding the PM can’t look him in the eye because he knows he has been deceitful.
From demonetisation to unemployment rates to mob lynchings to women’s security , Gandhi touched upon all the familiar spots to target the Modi-government. His statements were met with loud objections from the BJP MPs.
Here are the highlights from Rahul Gandhi’s speech:
‘Defence Minister Lied About Rafale Scam’
The BJP MPs, including Defence Minister Nirmala SItharaman, brought the house down when Gandhi brought up the Rafale aircraft deal with the French government. Gandhi claimed that the Defence Minister had lied when she told the nation she couldn’t reveal information about the deal because of a ‘secret pact’ with the French government – a pact he said the French President himself told Gandhi didn’t exist. He hit the BJP on ‘favouritism’ in assigning the Rafale deal to a businessman with no experience in building planes, instead of to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Sitharaman came to her feet in indignation after Gandhi’s arguments and was asked by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to sit down.
‘PM Modi Has Relations With Certain Businessmen’
"Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain businessmen in the country. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged.
‘PM Modi’s Employment Promises Are Jumlas’
Rising in support of the motion, Gandhi said the TDP like many others was “a victim of BJP's political weapon called 'jumla’ (gimmick). The TDP had moved the no-confidence motion against the NDA government.
"You are a victim of the 21st century political weapon. The political weapon is the 'jumla strike'. There are many many more victims like you," he said, adding that the farmers, youth, Dalits, tribals and women were also the victims of this “weapon” of the government.
The Congress chief referred to the amount of Rs 15 lakh that was promised to every Indian by the BJP before coming to power after bringing in all black money stashed abroad, and termed it as "jumla strike number one'.
Raising the issue of joblessness which he termed as 'jumla strike two', Gandhi said only 4 lakh jobs have been created in the last four years, against the promise of providing two crore jobs every year.
He also alleged that unemployment was at its peak in last four years under Modi.
‘PM a Participant in Corruption’
‘Why is PM Modi Silent on Women’s Security, Mob Lynchings?’
‘You Can Call Me ‘Pappu’, but I Have no Hate For You’
‘PM Modi and Amit Shah Cannot Afford to Lose Power’
‘Thank You!’
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