Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday set the tone for the BJP campaigning ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections with his address in Congress stronghold of Rae Bareli.
Speaking at his public meeting at the constituency of former Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi after laying the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 1,100 crore and flagging of the 900th coach of Modern Rail Factory and a Humsafar Rake, PM Modi launched scathing attacks at the Congress party over Bofors, Rafale and the AgustaWestland deal.
"I want to know from the Congress -- is it agitated today and telling lie after lie because the BJP government's defence deals do not have any Quattrocchi "mama", Christian Michel uncle?", he said.
Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian national, was one of the alleged middlemen in the Bofors deal made by the government headed by former Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi's husband Rajiv Gandhi.
Christian Michel, recently extradited to India from UAE allegedly brokered the chopper deal for VVIPs with AgustaWestland.
"Is it because of this the Congress is trying to create an atmosphere lack of trust in the judiciary?" added the Prime Minister, whose party's setback in the assembly elections was followed by a positive note from the Supreme Court, which validated the government on the Rafale deal.
PM Modi also accused Congress of aiding those who he said want to weaken the Indian Army and raising questions over the government and even the Supreme Court over Rafale fighter jets.
"Today, there are two camps in the country. One is the government that is trying to strengthen our Army. The other wants to weaken our Army at any cost," Modi said.
The country has been witnessing that the Congress stands by those powers who don't want our armed forces to be strengthened," he added, in an obvious reference to Sonia Gandhi's son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi who has been accusing corruption in the Rafale jet deal with France.
The Prime Minister said the country was watching "such people" who he added were "getting support of countries pitted against India".
"What is the reason that people in Pakistan clap when some of our leaders speak?"
The Prime Minister pointedly accused the Congress of raising questions over the dignity of the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Air Force, France, and the Supreme Court over the purchase of Rafale jet aircraft.
"Some people only accept lies and speak lies. For them the country's Defence Ministry, Defence Minister, and Air Force officers are liars. The French government is also a liar. Now, the country's Supreme Court is also a liar for them.
"But truth does not need 'shringaar' and lies will always die. The country will never forgive the Congress over its attitude towards the Army."
Again, the Prime Minister said "some people" felt ashamed of shouting "Bharat Mata ki Jai".
"What kind of people are they who do not care about the country? I know that they want to abuse Modi. They want to frame Modi for corruption. But I want to know why they have put the country's pride at stake for this? Why is national security being put on stake?"
He also lashed out at the former governments for failing to provide proper employment facilites. He also claimed that the Modern Coach Factory was never allowed to make coaches at full capacity when the Congress-led government was in power.
"f capacity of Modern Coach Factory is increased it will give employment to youth,” he asserted. “Think of the time when 10 to 12 coaches will be made here in a day. The expansion of this factory will bring employment for engineers and technicians.”
Modi said that while the previous governments had decided to hire 5,000 employees to work at the factory, only half of these recruitments were approved. “Not just that, in 2014 we noticed that no new recruitment was done in this factory,” he alleged.
Later the day, PM Modi also visited Prayagraj and inaugurated the Command and Control Centre for the Kumbh Mela. The prime minister also performed Ganga Pujan in the city.
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