‘Reward of $4 billion’: Rahul Gandhi again attacks PM Modi over Rafale deal

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday leveled fresh allegations on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter aircraft defence deal signed with the government of France.


The Congress chief took a dig at the Prime Minister as he tweeted a link to a news report claiming that businessman Anil Ambani was "rewarded" with offset contracts worth $ 4 billion despite a debt of Rs 45,000 crore and no experience in the field of manufacturing aircraft.

Since last week the government has been under an attack mainly by the Congress party over allegations of a scam in the Rafale defence deal.

On July 20, the Congress chief fired the first shot during a debate on no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha. He said everybody knew the relationship Modi has with some people and everybody can see the amount of money going into "marketing" the prime minister.

"Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. 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.

An industrialist under a debt of Rs 35,000 crore was given a contract in the Rafale deal and he was benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore, the Congress President said, asking Modi to answer if the Cabinet Committee on Security took the decision. The contract was taken away from HAL, a PSU, he said.

Later in the day, a belligerent PM hit back saying that "one must abstain from making childish statements on sensitive issues."

On Monday, a displeased BJP had lashed out at the Congress chief, saying that the latter's understanding of national security issues is poor and his party's stand is not in national interest.

Even as both the parties hurled accusations at each other, four BJP MPs submitted a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of "misleading" Parliament by making "false" allegations against PM Modi and defence minister Sitharaman. A similar notice was submitted by the Congress against PM Modi and the defence minister a day later.

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