PM ‘snatched’ Rs 30,000 crore from IAF, says Rahul

Ranchi, March 2 (IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, farmers' issues and the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 during a rally at the Morabadi Ground here.

Addressing the gathering, Rahul said: "Earlier there was the slogan 'Acche din aayenge', but now people are saying 'Chowkidar chor hai'."

"The Indian Air Force (IAF) protects the country, but the Prime Minister has 'snatched' Rs 30,000 crore from the force. There was 'corruption' in the Rafale deal and Rs 30,000 crore was wrongfully given to Anil Ambani," Rahul said, adding that Modi also duped the farmers, the tribals and the labourers of the country.

"The Congress brought the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and the Panchayats Extension to the Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996 to protect 'jal' (water), 'zameen' (land) and jungle. But the Modi government tried to dilute the land acquisition law in states where it is in power by curtailing its provisions to help the industrialists," Gandhi said.

"Modi wants to divide the country into two parts, one for Adani and Ambani and the second for the poor people. We will not allow this. If the loans given to Adani and Ambani are waived, the same should happen with the farmers' loans," Gandhi said.

"The entire opposition is united in Jharkhand and we will win all the 14 seats. Six months after the Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state will be ousted too," the Congress President said.

Senior leaders from the main opposition parties - Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and Rashtriya Janata Dal - shared the stage with Gandhi.