Congress to launch nationwide agitation

NEW DELHI: Stepping up attack on the Modi government, the Congress on Saturday finalised a month-long, countrywide agitation to “expose” the alleged corruption under the BJP rule including the Rafale jet deal.

The party also demanded that Kerala floods be declared a ‘national calamity’.

The final shape to the party’s agitational plan was given at a meeting of top Congress leaders, including party general secretaries and in-charges of various states, state unit chiefs and legislature party leaders, chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi.

“It was decided that corruption, scams of the Modi government particularly the Rafale scam will be taken to people of India,” party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

In the next 30 days, Congress workers will do district and state level demonstrations. We will ensure a fair probe, independent probe, a JPC is constituted immediately. We will not be deterred and pushed back,” he said, adding “we will push the government .... ensuring that the Rafale scam and corruption scams are exposed”.

The party, he said, discussed the Rafale deal in detail and claimed that the scam has cost the exchequer Rs 41,000 crore. He alleged that a company belonging to a “friend” of the Prime Minister has been given a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore under the deal after snatching it away from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The government and the BJP have dismissed the allegations

levelled by the Congress on the Rafale deal.

Besides, other political chal

lenges in the election going states were also deliberated, Surjewala said.

Surjewala said the party also demanded that Kerala floods be declared as a “national calamity” and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to play politics in such matters.

“Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs.500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering, Gandhi tweeted earlier.

He had also demanded in another tweet that Kerala floods be declared a national disaster without any delay, saying the lives, livelihood and future of millions of people is at stake.

Surjewala claimed that while the central government has only provided Rs 100 crore relief to the state government, there has been a huge loss of life and damage to properties to the extent of Rs 2,000-3,000 crore due to the floods.