PM gave Rs 30,000 crore meant for IAF to Ambani: Rahul

RANCHI: Blaming PM Narendra Modi for “handing over” Rs30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said his party would launch a minimum income guarantee scheme for all the poor people in the country if the UPA came to power after the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress chief was addressing Parivartan Ulgulan rally at the Morhabadi ground here. Leaders of Jharkhand’s main opposition parties JMM, JVM-P and RJD shared the stage with Rahul.

Rahul promised to transfer the money directly to the bank accounts of the poor and the unemployed, and said the minimum income guarantee scheme would be historical as no other country has done something similar in the past.

Starting his speech with his pet slogan “Chowkidar chor hai”, Rahul said Modi stashed away Rs30,000 crore meant for the IAF and handed it over to Anil Ambani. “Modi has betrayed the military that defends the country. The President of France has gone on record to say that Modi categorically said that the contract of manufacturing Rafale aircraft should be given to Ambani’s company,” he said. He also attacked Modi and BJP leaders for continuing with their political campaign even when the entire country was waiting for Pakistan to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Assuring the crowd of the minimum income guarantee scheme, Rahul said, “Instead of giving relief to millionaires, Congress will always help the poor and farmers. We cannot let anyone make two countries — one of Ambanis and Adanis, and the other of the poor.