india

Updated: Mar 07, 2019 17:28 IST

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took his political drive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Rafale deal a step further. Gandhi said PM Modi is responsible for “delay in delivery of Rafale fighter jets” to the Indian Air Force.

The Congress president’s comment came in response to PM Modi’s statement that absence of Rafale fighter jet has hurt India’s defence preparedness.

“Under contract being negotiated by the UPA government, the [Rafale] planes were to be supplied early. PM Modi got the contract delayed and now he says this delay is hurting India,” Gandhi told a public rally at Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.

Gandhi also targeted Modi alleging that the prime minister politicised the Pulwama terror attack in his public rallies. He said, “When Pulwama happened and action was ongoing with Pakistan, I held a press conference and said that the Congress and all its leader and workers are standing with IAF and the government.”

“We made it clear we’ll not politicise it but it is sad that when the opposition was standing with government, the prime minister was politicising it,” Gandhi said.

A CRPF convoy had been targeted by a suicide bomber in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14 killing 40 soldiers. Both the Congress and the BJP put off their immediate political functions after Pulwama attack. However, PM Modi attended government events, where he talked about Pulwama attack and emphasised the government’s commitment to fight terrorism.

The Congress has stepped its campaign against the prime minister and the Modi government over Rafale deal and also its policy to deal with terrorism. Earlier in the day, Gandhi demanded a probe against PM Modi in Rafale deal.

Gandhi alleged that PM Modi conducted parallel negotiation with France in Rafale deal bypassing the Indian Negotiating Team (INT), constituted for finalising the defence contract. The Congress president claimed that PM Modi conducted parallel negotiation to “benefit” businessman Anil Ambani, whose firm, Reliance Defence is an offset partner of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets.