Must probe Parrikar’s role in ‘missing’ Rafale files: Rahul Gandhi
TNN | Mar 9, 2019, 07:29 IST
INC president Rahul Gandhi addressed a huge gathering of booth level workers at Taleigao, on FridayTALEIGAO: Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi government for claiming that secret documents related to the purchase of 36 Rafale jets were stolen, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that the ministry of defence should investigate chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s role in the entire affair.
Alluding to an audio recording where Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane purportedly claims that Parrikar is in possession of the documents on Rafale, Gandhi said Parrikar was blackmailing the BJP to ensure that he was not removed as the chief minister of Goa.
Gandhi was speaking at the booth members meeting at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherji Indoor Stadium at Taleigao where he addressed nearly 10,000 party supporters. Gandhi arrived from Odhisa, where he held a similar meeting in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“If the government wants to find the files, conduct an inquiry into Parrikar,” Gandhi said. “Parrikar in the cabinet clearly said that he has the Rafale files. It is there in a tape. And he says that he cannot be removed from the post of the chief minister because otherwise he would release the files regarding Rafale the day he was removed.”
The Congress president also slammed the lack of governance in Goa, claiming that the state government had also “disappeared” like the various promises made by the BJP.
“It’s not just files that have disappeared, Goa’s government has also disappeared. The Rs 15 lakh that Modi promised, that has also disappeared,” Gandhi said.
The Congress chief continued his criticism against Modi, once again accusing him of having tweaked the contract for the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France in order to favour Anil Ambani. He claimed that defence ministry documents published in an English daily showed “Modi prepared a new contract ignoring the negotiating team” in order to “hand over Rs 30,000 crore to Ambani”.
The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group has consistently rejected the Congress party’s claim.
“Parrikar told the international media that he does not know anything about the new contract. Documents say that the chowkidar of India had parallel negotiations,” Gandhi said, as he highlighted Parrikar’s role in the entire saga.
Congress supporters from Quepem, Salcete, Savordem, Ponda and other constituencies were present.
“Several thousand booth members of ours are outside since there was no place,” state Congress president Girish Chodankar said. The party erected a digital screen outside the venue for the benefit of the 1,000-odd Congress workers who could not enter the venue. A jingle composed by Congressman Sidhanath Buyao for the coming polls was also released.
In his address, Gandhi urged all booth workers to go door-to-door and create awareness about the BJP’s failure to fulfil poll promises.
“Goa once had tourism, it was the centre for tourism. Then this government came and brought in demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and this destroyed tourism. Everything has been disappearing under this government,” Gandhi said.
The Gandhi scion stayed overnight at a city-based resort and was scheduled to leave the state early on Saturday.
Alluding to an audio recording where Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane purportedly claims that Parrikar is in possession of the documents on Rafale, Gandhi said Parrikar was blackmailing the BJP to ensure that he was not removed as the chief minister of Goa.
Gandhi was speaking at the booth members meeting at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherji Indoor Stadium at Taleigao where he addressed nearly 10,000 party supporters. Gandhi arrived from Odhisa, where he held a similar meeting in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“If the government wants to find the files, conduct an inquiry into Parrikar,” Gandhi said. “Parrikar in the cabinet clearly said that he has the Rafale files. It is there in a tape. And he says that he cannot be removed from the post of the chief minister because otherwise he would release the files regarding Rafale the day he was removed.”
The Congress president also slammed the lack of governance in Goa, claiming that the state government had also “disappeared” like the various promises made by the BJP.
“It’s not just files that have disappeared, Goa’s government has also disappeared. The Rs 15 lakh that Modi promised, that has also disappeared,” Gandhi said.
The Congress chief continued his criticism against Modi, once again accusing him of having tweaked the contract for the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France in order to favour Anil Ambani. He claimed that defence ministry documents published in an English daily showed “Modi prepared a new contract ignoring the negotiating team” in order to “hand over Rs 30,000 crore to Ambani”.
The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group has consistently rejected the Congress party’s claim.
“Parrikar told the international media that he does not know anything about the new contract. Documents say that the chowkidar of India had parallel negotiations,” Gandhi said, as he highlighted Parrikar’s role in the entire saga.
Congress supporters from Quepem, Salcete, Savordem, Ponda and other constituencies were present.
“Several thousand booth members of ours are outside since there was no place,” state Congress president Girish Chodankar said. The party erected a digital screen outside the venue for the benefit of the 1,000-odd Congress workers who could not enter the venue. A jingle composed by Congressman Sidhanath Buyao for the coming polls was also released.
In his address, Gandhi urged all booth workers to go door-to-door and create awareness about the BJP’s failure to fulfil poll promises.
“Goa once had tourism, it was the centre for tourism. Then this government came and brought in demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and this destroyed tourism. Everything has been disappearing under this government,” Gandhi said.
The Gandhi scion stayed overnight at a city-based resort and was scheduled to leave the state early on Saturday.
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