Modi struck deal with Akali Dal to bungle state’s ₹31,000 cr: Rahul
Friday, 08/03/2019
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MOGA: Congress national president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a deal with the previous Shiromani Akali DalBharatiya Janata Party (SADBJP) government in Punjab to bungle the state’s ₹31,000 crore food legacy debt account arising out of the mismanagement of cash credit limit (CCL).
Addressing the party’s ‘Mission-13’ rally in Moga, the Congress chief said Modi colluded with the Akalis just before the announcement of the 2017 assembly election results and struck a deal as part of which the then state government paid ₹31,000 crore to the Centre to settle the CCL issue.
“Chief minister Amarinder Singh told me that Modi doesn’t want to return that money and it has pushed the state into a financial mess. It’s an amount meant to be spent on the farmers and youth of Punjab. It’s your money but Modi won’t return because Punjab has a Congress government. Modi considers himself as PM of the BJP only,” he said.
He said the PM tweaked all norms to benefit his friend Anil Ambani’s company to the tune of ₹30,000 crore by allotting him a contract to manufacture the Rafael fighter jets. “If Modi can give benefit of ₹30,000 crore to his friend within five minutes, why cannot he repay Punjab’s ₹31,000 crore? He should return it immediately,” he added.
‘MET PM, JAITLEY 5 TIMES, GOT MERE ASSURANCES’
Earlier, CM Amarinder said he met Modi and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley over the food debt legacy issue at least five times, but got assurances only. “Our finance minister, Manpreet Badal, also met Jaitley, but to no avail. What did you (Akali Dal) do when the amount reached ₹31,000 crore? Your minister (Harsimrat Kaur Badal) is in the cabinet at the Centre, but you failed to resolve the issue. And you burdened the state by converting ₹31,000 crore of cash credit limit gap into long-term loan on its last day of term. Why should we pay for it?” he asked.
Amarinder said the way the Gandhi scion has strengthened the Congress after taking over as its president, he was sure that the party will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab and Rahul will be the next prime minister. State party chief Sunil Jakhar also endorsed the CM on this during his speech.
‘BJP WAIVED NO FARM DEBT IN 5 YEARS’ Lauding Amarinder for launching the farm debt waiver scheme in Punjab, Rahul said Modi should tell if he has waived loan of a single farmer in his five year rule at the Centre.
“Farm loans are being waived in all the Congress-ruled states. If Modi can waive loans of big industrial houses to the tune of ₹3.50 lakh crore, why cannot he provide relief to the farmers,” he questioned.
Accusing Modi of spreading hatred in the country, Rahul said the upcoming general election will be a fight between ideologies. “The Congress follows Guru Nanak’s philosophy of love and respect for all, but the RSS’s agenda is to spread hatred only,” he said. He also praised Amarinder for breaking the backbone of drug mafia in Punjab.
‘UNDER NEW DEAL, RAFALE DELIVERY WILL TAKE 10 MORE YRS’
Later, addressing a rally at Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress president continued his attack against Modi over the Rafale deal, saying the BJP-led government at the Centre was responsible for “delay in the procurement of the fighter jets.”
Under the new deal the Modi government negotiated for the fighter planes, it would at least at least 10 years for the delivery of Rafale jets to India.
The Congress president’s comment came in response to Modi’s statement that the absence of Rafale fighter jets had hurt India’s defence preparedness. “Under the deal negotiated by the previous UPA government, the (Rafale) planes were to be supplied early. Prime Minister Modi got the contract delayed and now he says this delay is hurting India,” Gandhi said.
He also accused Modi of indulging in parallel negotiation with French authorities on Rafale purchase to benefit industrialist Anil Ambani.
Gandhi also alleged that the Prime Minister had politicised the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent air strikes on the Balakot terror camp in Pakistan in his public rallies.
“When Pulwama happened and the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out air strikes, we fully supported them. All our leaders and workers stood behind defence forces and the government. It is sad that when the opposition was standing behind the government, the Prime Minister started doing politics on it,” he said.
Paying tributes to Tilak Raj, the CRPF constable from Kangra who was killed in the Pulwama attack, he said personnel from paramilitary forces killed in the line of duty would be given the status of martyrs if the Congress was voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
He said the PM failed to fulfill promises made to the people of HP. “Handloom, handicraft, and tourism, which form the backbone of Himachal’s economy, were hurt by demonetisation,” he said.
