Congress plots protest month against graft

COUNTRYWIDE AGITATIONS AIMED AT ‘EXPOSING’ MODI GOVERNMENT’S SCAMS

The plan to hold demonstrations was finalised at a meeting of top Congress leaders that was chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress yesterday decided to launch a monthlong, countrywide agitation to “expose” the Modi government on its alleged corruption and scams including the Rafale fighter jet deal in which it has demanded an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC).

The agitational plan was finalised at a meeting of top Congress 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. In the next 30 days, Congress workers will hold demonstrations at state and district levels. We will ensure a fair and independent probe and a JPC be constituted immediately. We will not be deterred and pushed back,” party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.

Rafale deal

The party, he said, discussed the Rafale deal in details and claimed that the scam has cost the exchequer Rs410 billion. He said a company belonging to the friend of the prime minister has been given a contract worth Rs300 billion under the deal after snatching it away from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

He 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.

He claimed that while the central government has only provided Rs1 billion relief to the state government, there has been a huge loss of life and damage to properties to the extent of Rs20 billion Rs30 billion due to the floods.

Flood relief

“We believe Modiji should stop discriminating in the matters of flood relief between BJP and non-BJP governments. Only mere Rs1 billion has been given to Kerala while there is devastation.

“It’s time the prime minister rises above political partisan game and come forward as a nation to help the people of Kerala and Karnataka and declare Kerala floods as a national calamity,” he said.

He said the Congress governments in different states are contributing to the relief funds while all party MPs, MLAs, MLCs will donate one-month’s salary for relief measures. The Punjab government and the JDS-Congress Karnataka government have sent Rs100 million each, while the Puducherry government has contributed Rs10 million, he said. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Over 314,000 people have been moved to relief camps.