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In Rafale row, PM Modi says Congress using Parliament for entertainment
Christian Michel knew more about govt than then-Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, Modi said during a rally in Odisha’s Baripada.
Hitting back on Rafale row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of having hatched a conspiracy to weaken India’s defence during its regime between 2004 and 2014, and said that the grand old party was using Parliament for entertainment.
A day after defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman took on the Congress over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal controversy in Lok Sabha, Modi said people raising questions over the deal had conspired to weaken India’s armed forces.
In his first-ever visit to Baripada town in northern Odisha town of Mayurbhanj district after becoming Prime Minister, he said Congress tried to fool countrymen and play with the security of the country.
“She (Sitharaman) exposed the childishness of those who tried to use the Parliament for their own entertainment,” he said in a rally attended by over one lakh people.
Before the meeting, the Prime Minister had launched a slew of projects worth ₹4,500 crore.
He said when he was trying to free the Army from the clutches of the middlemen, he has become thorn in the eyes of some people.
“They want to remove the chowkidaar under any circumstances,” he said, referring to the opposition as ‘choron ki jamaat (group of thieves)’.
Modi also said that Christian Michel, the alleged middleman who was extradited to India in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, had connections with top Congress leaders and had knowledge of classified files in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Michel had connections with top Congress leaders and had knowledge of meetings of Cabinet Committee of Security. He was sending details of meetings about helicopter deal abroad. Perhaps the then PM (Manmohan Singh) did not have so much knowledge of defence matters as Michel had. It was not clear if Congress was running a government or Michel was having a court of his own. But law will not spare anyone,” he said, describing Michel as raazdar (secret-keeper) of Congress.
Kamal Nath govt slammed over Vande Mataram, Emergency pension
The PM also slammed Congress over the Kamal Nath government’s decisions in Madhya Pradesh to restrict singing of Vande Mataram and stop the pension of Emergency prisoners.
“Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a problem if he addresses public rallies with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Look at the priority of a newly elected Government in Madhya Pradesh. Instead of focusing of development, MP’s Congress Government chose to stop the pension of Emergency prisoners and took exception on Vande Mataram’s recitation. But the efforts of patriotic Indians defeated their attempts and the government had to stall the two decisions,” Modi said.
The PM however chose to soft-pedal on Naveen Patnaik government and criticised it for failing to give security to women of Odisha. Without taking the name of the Dalit victim of Puri district who was allegedly gangraped and then murdered in 2011, Modi slammed the government for failing to provide justice for her. He also raised questions on Odisha’s poor record in immunisation of children and pregnant women.
This was Modi’s first-ever visit to Mayurbhanj after becoming PM. Earlier he had visited Bahalada assembly constituency in 2004 after becoming CM of Gujarat.
Political analyst Kalyan Sinha said the Baripada rally was significant for BJP as in 2017 panchayat polls. The party won 49 of the 56 zilla parishad seats signifying its increasing popularity in the tribal-dominated Lok Sabha seat.
“Though BJD won all the 9 MLAs seats in the district in 2014 Assembly polls, nowhere has BJP’s rise been as spectacular as Mayurbhanj. In 2012 panchayat polls, the party won just one zilla parishad seat. Besides there are intense speculations that a senior bureaucrat in Modi government is contesting from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat in 2019 polls on BJP ticket,” said Sinha.
Monika Sahoo, a 19-year-old girl who had come to attend the rally, said she wanted to see Modi from close quarters.
“I think under current circumstances he is the best possible person to lead the country. Under his leadership, India is now a much-respected country in the world,” she said.
Jagannath Das, a 55-year-old trader, said unlike previous PMs of Congress and other parties, Modi was a strong leader. “When I see him, I feel proud,” said Das.
When asked if chief minister Naveen Patnaik would offer outside support to a BJP-led coalition, in case they do not win a comfortable majority, Das said it would be in the best interests of Odisha.
“Both Modi and Naveen should join hands for developing Odisha. In the last few meetings, Modi is not attacking BJD as much as he used to. So there is a possibility.”
However, tribal farmer Bani Soren did not share the same excitement. “My family is yet to get the gas cylinder though I was promised one more than a year ago. I have no interest in attending any meeting,” said Soren.
Though Naveen Patnaik was scheduled to join Modi at Baripada to inaugurate the projects, including the Balasore-Haldia-Durgapur section of Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline of Indian Oil Corporation, he gave it a miss.
Patnaik chose to go to Puri town where he announced ₹15,000 financial assistance for each of the 6 lakh women Self Help Groups, ₹3,000 for smartphones, ₹25 lakh assistance for block-level federations and loan at no interest for SHGs.
Modi flew back to New Delhi via Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal soon after the Baripada public meeting.
He had promised during the Make in Odisha Conclave to digitally empower the women of the state. Besides, the CM will also provide financial aid of ₹5 lakh to 11 federations in the district.
