State BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and scores of party cadres were placed under preventive police custody after attempting to march to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here in protest to what the party termed were ‘continuing false allegations’ on the Rafale deal levelled against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘Misleading citizens’
Addressing protesting party workers, Mr. Tiwari accused the Congress of indulging in ‘propaganda’ aimed at misleading citizens to ‘cover up the sins of the Congress’. The North-East Delhi MP and party workers were detained at the Parliament Street police station for an hour before being released, according to the party.
“Congress president Rahul Gandhi is bent upon building India on the base of falsehood...these allegations are the outcome of both — the party’s frustration and dishonest culture...All of us have resolved to expose the falsehood of the Congress before everyone...Rahul Gandhi should apologise for lying to the people, insulting the Supreme Court and the Air Force,” Mr. Tiwari demanded.
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi accused Mr. Gandhi of ‘playing with the security of the country’ by opposing the Rafale deal.
“Why did the Congress not take a decision [regarding the purchase of Rafale planes] at the proper time? Now, when the Modi government has purchased these planes in a transparent manner, why is the Congress misleading the country by telling lies?” she demanded.
Programme convener and Pradesh General Secretary Rajesh Bhatia said that Mr. Gandhi’s ‘propaganda’ against Mr. Modi was being done ‘under a sinister campaign’.
“In reality, it is an attempt to cover up the failures of previous Congress governments in finalising the Rafale deal and party’s workers will expose their falsehood in every lane and village of Delhi,” Mr. Bhatia said.