Kolkata, Jan 19 (UNI) Senior parliamentarian and a vocal anti-Modi leader Sharad Yadav on Saturday committed faux pas during his speech at the united opposition rally here and mixed up the infamous Bofors scam of 1980s with the Rafale row of contemporary setting.
Speaking at the rally organised by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and attended among others by former Congress stalwarts like Sharad Pawar and the present Congress leader Abhishekmanu Singhvi, the former JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav referred to the Bofors scam twice in his speech.
However, at the end of the speech, Mr Yadav corrected himself and apologised and said he wanted to say "Rafale...Rafale..Rafale" and not Bofors.
The chief hostess and organiser of the mega event - Ms Banerjee later remarked that such slips do happen while making speeches and what Sharad Yadav had meant was Rafale aircraft row and not Rafale.
Mr Yadav was referring to the new article on Rafale row as reported in a leading English daily.
Ironically, Mr Sharad Yadav was part of the united Janata Dal in late 1980s and 1990s when Bofors was at the helm of defeat and the scandal had finally led to the ouster of Rajiv Gandhi government.
A massive anti-Congress rally was organised in Kolkata in 1988 wherein opposition leaders had shared stage and had given a clarion call for the ouster of Congress government in the centre.
The likes of Ms Banerjee and Sharad Pawar were all part of the Congress party then.
In fact on July 2, 1988 in 'Calcutta' (old name of Kolkata), top BJP leaders had shared stage with Jyoti Basu among others and had given a call for the defeat of Congress government in the centre.
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