Modi says Cong wants weaker armed forces
On Rafale, PM asks which company Cong is bidding for ■
Getting into election mode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last major speech in Parliament before the Lok Sabha contest mocked at attempts to forge an anti-BJP coalition as mahamilawat (grand adulteration) and targeted the Opposition Congress for dynasty politics and presented a report card of his government.
Speaking from the floor of the Lok Sabha in his reply to the Motion of Thanks, Mr Modi showcased his government’s achievements on job creation, anti-corruption fight, electrification of villages, distribution of free cooking gas, strengthening of armed forces, and reasserted his government’s focus on addressing farm distress.
Hitting out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal, Mr Modi said the Congress did not wish to see the country’s armed forces strong.
The Prime Minister also mocked Mr Gandhi’s favourite slogan with a tweak of a well-known Hindi proverb. “The thief is scolding the chowkidar (watchman),” he said.
He questioned whether the Congress wants to delay the Rafale deal as part of its bidding for some other jet supplier company.
“I am levelling a serious allegation. I want to say it on the floor of Parliament that the Indian National Congress doesn’t want our armed forces to be strong. They do not want our security apparatus to be strong. Which companies are they bidding for that they are acting so shamefully,” he said.
The Congress leadership does not seem to have learnt any lessons from the defeat in the recent Assembly polls in Telangana and is committing the same mistake ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress High Command had decided to announce Lok Sabha candidates in advance from February 15 and had asked all Pradesh Congress Committees to send a candidates’ list by end of January.
But a week after the deadline, the leaders have not started the process yet. Some party leaders are now worried over delay in announcing of candidates. Congress and other leaders of the People’s Front feel delay in announcing candidates was the main reason for the party’s defeat in the Telangana Assembly polls.
At a meeting with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi two days ago, Telangana Congress leaders reiterated the reason for the Congress’ defeat in Telangana. The Congress high command has decided not to repeat those mistakes in the Lok Sabha elections.
The high command has directed District Congress Committee presidents to suggest three names for each Lok Sabha constituency
to the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.
In turn, the Pradesh election committee has to scrutinise the names and select two for each constituency and submit it to the high command. The central election committee of the Congress will select one candidate from the two.
But the DCCs have not yet sent their list to TPCC. The Congress high command has decided to appoint DCC presidents to all 31 districts in the state. Earlier, the high command had appointed 10 DCC presidents according to old districts. The delay is because new DCC presidents are yet to be appointed.
DCC presidents
The Congress high command on Thursday appointed new DCC presidents to all 31 districts and two city Congress presidents. In the new list, the high command has continued DCC presidents of old districts.
The poll schedule is expected in the first week of March. TPCC treasurer Mr Gudur Narayanareddy said the Congress central leadership was committing the same mistake that it did in the Assembly elections, that is delay in announcing candidates. He said such delay could cost dearly in the elections.