Congress workers stage stir against Rafale deal, Modi govt

Udupi: Hundreds of District Congress members organized a rally to protest against the Rafale Fighter aircraft deal by the Modi government, at DC office, Manipal here on Tuesday, September 18.

The protest rally was taken out from Syndicate Circle to the DC’s office, where a huge protest meeting was held.

Addressing the protesters, former district in-charge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said that due to hiKe in fuel and cooking gas prices, the Congress Party organized Bharat Bandh, which was a huge success. He thanked the party workers for the success.

He said that under former defence minister A K Anthony, in 2007 the Rafale Fighter aircraft deal was struck with France at Rs. 526 crore, but now the Modi government is spending a romping Rs 1,670 cr.

“In 2015, Modi visited France along with his highly influential friends and said that the deal signed by the NDA government was on better terms than the one agreed upon by the UPA government,” Sorake said adding that today Rafale deal has been called the biggest scam in India which runs into Rs 40,000 cr and that the deal has been made only to benefit Modi’s corporate cronies.

He demanded formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the Rafale deal.

Former MLA Gopala Bhandary said that it was only the Siddaramaiah government and the present coalition government that waived off the farm loans, but the centre did nothing in this regard.

Several congress leaders including MLC Pratapchandra Shetty, District Congress Committee President Janardhan Tonse, Vice President Prakyath Shetty, AICC member Amrith Shenoy, former MLA Gopal Poojary, KPCC member G A Bava, other congress leaders Devi Prasad Shetty, Rakesh Malli, Women Congress leaders Veronica Cornelio and others were present.