Ranchi, Sep 14 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad today cornered
Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on the gross irregularities committed in the Rafael deal
and described the deal inked with France for the purchase of 36 jets as the world’s biggest scam.
Addressing a press conference at the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here, he said that a ‘tamasha’ was going on in the country over the Rafael deal and it was high time that the Prime Minister himself replied over the issue in the Parliament itself or in the court of the people. He said that Mr Modi speaks in the Parliament only during thanks giving motion of the President’s speech.
“ However, this time he spoke on another occasion as a no confidence motion was brought against his government but he speaks a lot among the public,” Mr Azad said adding that in a new trend the Prime Minister was not answering the questions which are addressed to him in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha but a junior minister replies those questions.
Mr Azad accused Prime Minister Modi of playing with the security of the nation by reducing the number of Rafel jets to be brought from France. ' Mr Modi claims to be a nationalist but if he was truly a nationalist than the number of jets which was earlier 126 should not have been reduced at any cost.' He said that while the UPA government had agreed to purchase each one of these planes at the cost of just Rs 526 crore Mr Modi inked the deal to buy them at Rs 1670 crore per plane which was almost Rs 1100 crore more than what was agreed with the UPA government.
He questioned that whether the Rs 41,000 crore more which is being paid to purchase just 36 Rafael jets was a theft of peoples hard earned money. Attacking further he said that from his Red Fort address the Prime Minister often talks about transfer of technology but why was the government firm HAL removed and contract given to such a company which has no knowledge about the sector and ‘specialized in manufacturing of toys and oil’.
Mr Azad further said that unfortunately all these matters are also not reported in the media the freedom of the press has been curtailed by BJP and their leaders. He alleged that if any one speaks or writes against the government they end up losing their jobs and accused the government of deciding on the content which is to be shown in the news.
He alleged that deliberately the press conference of the leaders of opposition is shown in the morning and not in the prime time and said that the gag on media was neither good for democracy, health and development of the nation. Mr Azad said that if emergency was bad than the present system is worst in the country.
Those present included JPCC chief Dr Ajay Kumar, Leader of Legislature Wing of the Congress Party Aalamgir Aalam, Raya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu and JPCC media incharge Rajesh Thakur.
UNI AK KK