india

Updated: Mar 08, 2019 14:11 IST

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he has misled the country more than any other person who has held the office. Gandhi targeted PM Modi over a range of issues including Rafale deal, unemployment, farm distress and representation of women in legislatures.

“There have been so many prime ministers in India. But the volume of lies that this prime minister speaks is more than the combined lies spoken by all previous prime ministers,” Gandhi said during an interaction with women on the International Women’s Day at Koraput in Odisha.

Gandhi blamed the policies of the Narendra Modi government for growing unemployment and rising crime against women. He said “Jobs are not being created in India. Unemployment leads to violence, hatred and alcoholism…Unless you face the truth, you can’t solve problems. This prime minister does not want to face the truth.”

The Congress president promised if the party is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, it would “try to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill” for better representation of women in legislatures.

Hitting out at PM Modi over the Rafale deal, Gandhi said, “The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has a plant here in Koraput…The prime minister snatched Rafale deal from the HAL and gave it to Anil Ambani, who got a contract of Rs 30,000 crore. This money belonged to HAL.”

Gandhi has been raising the issue of Rafale deal in his public meetings to target PM Modi alleging malfeasance in the Rs 59,000-crore defence contract signed between India and France in 2016.

The Congress president also hit out at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik saying that the BJD government has failed to ensure safety and security of women in the state. “Every day 12 women are raped in Odisha and only seven get justice in a year…The situation has worsened in the last four-five years.”

He said if the Congress is elected to power in Odisha, it would make education and health priority sectors with greater budgetary allocations.