‘India first or family first’, Modi targets Congress at war memorial opening

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the previous Congress governments of playing with national interest, saying that there was a concept of "family first" instead of "nation first."

Modi also slammed the Gandhi family, stating that the probe into all the major defence scams leading to one family says a lot.

Addressing a gathering of ex-servicemen during the inauguration of the National War Museum (NWM) at the National Stadium here, Modi said, "Those who called themselves the deciders of the country's fate had done injustice to the forces and also played with the national security."

"They had made the army and the national security means of earning for themselves. They wanted to forget the martyrs," Modi said.

Targeting the Gandhi family, the Prime Minister said, "From Bofors to helicopters (AgustaWestland VVIP chopper), all the probe leads to the doors of one family. And it says a lot."

Hitting out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for criticising the 36 Rafale fighter jets deal with France, he said "now these people are using all their tactics so that the modern jet does not come to India."

"But in the next few months, when the first Rafale soars into the sky, all their conspiracies will end," he said.

Attacking the Congress, Modi said, "Few people think their family interests come before the interest of the nation."

"Today the National War Memorial (NWM) is being inaugurated. The National Police Memorial also had similar story. Two-and-a-half decades ago, the memorial file was introduced. It moved a bit during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, but after the government changed, the condition remained the same.

"Today people are asking why such injustice was done with the heroes and martyrs? What were the reasons that no one focused on the martyrs. India first or 'family first,'" Modi asked.

"Earlier, from schools to hospitals, highways to airports and awards, there was just the name of one family," he said.

Modi also said his government was bringing in modern weaponry to strengthen the armed forces in the country. "Major defence decisions in the national interest, which were earlier ignored or halted, are now being taken without any delay.

The government has given its nod to purchase 72,000 assault rifles and 25,000 crore ammunition, Modi said.