Modi is only a publicity minister, says Congress

Hubballi: AICC spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘publicity minister.’ She also alleged that the NDA government compromised with national security while striking the Rafale deal.
Chaturvedi told reporters here on Thursday that the Rafale deal is a Rs 1,30,000 crore scam. She alleged that the NDA government bought each fighter jet for three times more than the original price the UPA government had negotiated earlier.

“The Indian Air Force had a given proposal to UPA for about 126 fighter jets. However, NDA reduced the number of fighter jets to 36. This raises questions about how serious this government is about national security,” she said.

“A private company, Reliance, has zero experience in defence manufacturing whereas state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has 70 years of experience. Still, Reliance was preferred as prime minister favoured his friend,” she alleged.

Chaturvedi alleged that the PM and defence minister Nirmala Sitaraman were silent about the issue and were not saying why the number of jets were reduced from 126 to 36. She also questioned why the price of each fighter jet was not made public.

She also ridiculed the Prime Minister as a ‘publicity minister’ for taking ‘too much’ publicity from taxpayers’ money.

Chaturvedi alleged that Modi was misusing the railways to take publicity in the run up to general elections. “Misusing every ministry and department has become the hallmark of this government. The NDA government’s achievement in the last four years has been printed in on brochure released by railways. The people who do not have any participation in the country’s independence would believe India became independent four years ago,” she said sarcastically.

‘Pralhad Joshi is irresponsible’

Priyanka Chaturvedi ridiculed Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi for his ‘irresponsible’ comments on AICC chief Rahul Gandhi. “The MP does not understand English and hence I answer him in Hindi,” she said and read out a shayari and translated it as, “An army of liars who are busy keeping themselves entertained at the expense of the people of the country, are so busy pleasing their suited and booted friends that they have betrayed their own nation.”