Rahul Gandhi rakes up Rafale deal in Maharashtra poll campaign

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday raked up the Rafale deal issue to target the BJPgovernment, days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the first fighter jet from France.

Addressing a poll rally in Chandivali assembly constituency in Mumbai, his second in the day, Gandhi accused the BJP of "dividing and looting" India like the British had done in the pre-Independence era.

"It seems the Rafale deal is still hurting the BJP..(If not) Why Rajnath Singh went to France to receive the first fighter jet?" he asked the audience.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi had alleged "irregularities" in the Rafale deal under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.