Rahul Gandhi challenges PM Modi to debate on Rafale

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was avoiding a debate on the Rafale issue though he had been challenging him to engage with him almost every day in view of ‘open corruption’ in the aircraft deal.

“I have been challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the issue almost every day. Narendra Modiji, I am challenging you again directly..... There has been corruption in the Rafale deal… Let’s debate corruption. People want to know about corruption, demonetisation and the son of BJP president Amit Shah. We will have a debate with love. India wants to know about the Rafale deal. I want to tell countrymen that there is open corruption in the Rafale deal… Chowkidar does not want a debate. Chowkidar has indulged in theft,” said Gandhi.

He was speaking to reporters soon after filing his nomination papers for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat at the district collectorate compound in Gauriganj, the district headquarters of Amethi.

“If the PM debates the issue with me, he will not be able to see eye-to-eye with the people of the country,” he said.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the Centre’s objections over admissibility of the “leaked” documents cited by petitions seeking a review of the Rafale verdict of December 2018, Rahul Gandhi said, “It’s a day of joy. The Supreme Court has done justice today.”

Rahul Gandhi also referred to the PM’s assertions (in an interview) about the Supreme Court, giving a clean chit on the Rafale issue and said the SC had now accepted that there might be corruption in the deal.

“The Supreme Court has accepted that there is some or other corruption in the Rafale deal… I have been saying this. If there is an investigation into the Rafale deal, two names will come up — Narendra Modiji and Anil Ambaniji. I am very happy. I have been saying this for months that the Prime Minister has taken Air Force money and given Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. The Supreme Court has accepted this. The SC now wants to look into the issue,” said the Congress president.

First Published: Apr 11, 2019 00:31 IST