Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the government assertions in the Supreme Court about stolen Rafale files only underlined their authenticity and demanded a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fighter jets deal.
“In the papers, it is clearly said that parallel negotiations were being done by Prime Minister Modi. The Prime Minister has done a bypass surgery to benefit Anil Ambani,” Rahul told reporters at an early morning press conference here.
“Yes, of course, take action on those involved in this missing files case but also initiate an inquiry on PMO making parallel negotiations,” Gandhi
The Congress President also took a jibe at the Modi government over the missing Rafale files saying there is a new tagline now ‘sab gayab ho gaya’ (everything has vanished).
“Two crore jobs for youth, right price for farmers, insurance money of farmers, Doklam, Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts, and now Rafale files.. sab gayab ho gaya,” Rahul said.
He said after the Rafale files disappeared, the government said that an investigation should be conducted against the media, but the person there would be no investigation against the person who was involved in Rs 30,000 crore scam.
“The government has only one agenda now to save the chowkidar, the Congress President said.
He dared the prime minister to submit himself to an investigation.
“Why does the Prime Minister not say that he is not afraid of anyone and submit himself to an investigation. Why doesn’t the PM say ‘I am the chowkidar of the nation. Let there be an investigation,” Rahul said.
He also hit back at the Prime Minister for dubbing the opposition as poster boys of Pakistan.
“The Prime Minister got the ISI to investigate the Pathankot terror attack. He went unannounced to a wedding in the Nawaz Sharif (family). He (Modi) is the poster boy Pakistan,” Rahul said.
Gandhi’s remarks came after Modi on Tuesday called the opposition as the “poster boys of Pakistan” for seeking proof of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) action on a terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan.
“He is Pakistan’s poster boy, not us,” said Gandhi, hitting back at Modi for having publicly hugged Sharif during his swearing-in ceremony and later when he visited Pakistan to wish the leader on his birthday.
The Congress president also attacked the prime minister for inviting the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to India to probe the Pathankot terror attack.
“I do not remember, did we go to Nawaz Sharif?
Who came to Pathankot the ISI. The Prime Minister got the ISI to investigate Pathankot. Prime Minister went to Mr Nawaz Sharif”s (family) wedding and we are the poster boys,” he said at a press conference.
“He (Modi) is the poster boy of Pakistan, hugging Mr Nawaz Sharif, calling Mr Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony. The fact of the matter is that the issue here is corruption in Rafale and it is very clear that prime minister personally got the contract for Anil Ambani and put Rs 30,000 crore in his pocket,” Gandhi said.
The BJP has often accused the Congress of aiding Pakistan and ‘speaking their language’ as it said the statements made by Congress leaders were being used by Pakistan to attack India.
Gandhi added that he has heard the views of the families of CRPF jawans killed in the Pulwama terror attack, who have raised questions on the impact of the air strike in Pakistan, asserting that the Congress leaders have also discussed this.
“I read in the newspaper yesterday that the families of martyred CRPF jawans have raised the demand and their feelings are hurt and want to know what action has been taken in the air strikes. The Congress leaders have discussed that and I do not want to say anymore,” he said when asked about certain Congress leaders demanding proof of the air strikes.
