Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday mocked the Narendra Modi-led government for its announcement during the Budget that it would provide Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers.
“Bharatiya Janata Party MPs clapped in the Lok Sabha [during the Budget presentation],” Gandhi said at a rally in Bhopal, ANI reported. “I wondered what had happened. Then I realised they promised Rs 17 per day to farmers.” He claimed that in comparison, the Centre had waived off industrialists’ loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore.
The Congress president attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech in Parliament on Thursday. “Yesterday evening, the chowkidaar [watchman] entered the Lok Sabha and spoke for one hour and 45 minutes,” he said. “He did not speak about Rafale even for one minute.”
Gandhi also mimicked Modi’s speeches. “Five years ago, the man with the 56-inch chest used to say he will end corruption,” Gandhi said. “Nowadays, he says he will defeat the Congress. How will you defeat the Congress? We formed the government in Madhya Pradesh, in Rajasthan, in Chhattisgarh. We are going to form the next government in Delhi.”
The Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in April and May. Earlier on Friday, Gandhi claimed it was now “black and white” that Modi had carried out parallel negotiations with France on the Rafale fighter jet deal. His remark was based on a report in The Hindu. According to the report, the Ministry of Defence had, in 2015, objected to “parallel negotiations” conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office with France when the two countries were discussing the deal.
“The prime minister is a thief and has stolen Rs 30,000 crore of the Air Force’s money, bypassed established procedures and gave the money to his friend Anil Ambani,” Gandhi alleged.
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