Congress will not rest till PM Modi Answers on Rafale Deal – Vinay Kumar Sorake
Udupi: The members of the Udupi District Congress Committee (DCC) organised a protest rally at the DC office Manipal on Tuesday, September 18, against the Rafale Fighter Aircraft Scam, by the NDA government.
The protest rally was taken out from Syndicate Circle to the DC office where a huge protest meeting was held.
Addressing the protesters, former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said, “The agreement made by the UPA government on Rafale fighter aircraft purchase was changed by the NDA government. Why did PM Modi reduce the number of fighter aircraft required for the Indian Air Force from 126 to 36? Why was the state-owned HAL, which was involved in the original deal kept away in the fresh deal? Why was the offset contracts Reliance that has zero experience in aircraft building? Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move has only helped Reliance Defence Ltd. The deal is an attempt to loot the resources of the country”, he alleged.
Vinay Kumar Sorake further said, “During the UPA tenure, the rate per aircraft was fixed at Rs 550 crore. But the NDA government, led by Modi, has increased it to Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft. As a result, a sum of Rs 60,000 crore loss has been incurred to the government. The probe on Rafale deal will prove costly for the NDA government. The Congress will not rest till prime minister Narendra Modi provides answers on the Rafale deal. The central government should form a Joint Parliamentary committee to probe the Rafale deal”, he demanded.
Former Karkala MLA Gopal Bhandary addressing the protesters said, “The BJP led Narendra Modi government is engaged in stating a bundle of lies. Modi made toll promises before the party came to power in 2014. But he failed to deliver on most counts and the time has now come to seek accountability from the government. Before the Lok Sabha polls, Modi promised to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks and that 15 lakh would be deposited in the bank account of each citizen. In the last four years not even 15 has been so far deposited”, he said.
MLC Prathapchandra Shetty, District Congress president Janardhan Tonse, vice president Prakyath Shetty, AICC member Amrith Shenoy, Rakesh Malli, KPCC member MA Gafoor, G A Bava, Veronica Cornelio and others were present.