Congress puts up posters targeting PM over Rafale deal in Mumbai

Mumbai, July 28: The Congress's Mumbai unit today put up posters across the city, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "bhagidar" (partner) in the Rafale "scam".

The party's Mumbai chief, Sanjay Nirupam, said the city unit put up about 100 posters, targeting the prime minister over the controversial deal.

The BJP-led Union government was doing everything possible to avoid disclosing the price of 36 Rafale aircraft purchased from France, he alleged.

The Congress's city unit will stage a protest over the issue on Monday, Nirupam said.

"The prime minister is not just a partner in the sorrows and dreams of people, but also in this scam where he is planning to buy 36 Rafale aircraft at three times the price finalised by the UPA government in 2012," he alleged.

"Chowkidaar Nahi, Bhaagidaar (not watchman but partner)," the posters, with a photo of Modi hugging industrialist Anil Ambani, read.

Nirupam questioned the government's decision to give the contract for Rafale jets to Ambani's Reliance Defence, saying the company has no experience.

Anil Ambani had written to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi earlier this week, refuting allegations of lack of experience, and stating that the government had no role in French Group Dassault picking up his company as a local partner.

Gandhi has been attacking the government on the deal which he claims was inked at a much higher price than the one the UPA regime had negotiated.

PTI