Udupi: Members of District Congress Committee staged a mass protest condemned the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the Rafale deal. A rally which commenced from Tiger circle Manipal- Syndicate circle and end up at DC’s office Rajathadri Manipal was carried out by the members.
Former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said, “The Rafale fighter jet deal is a big scam of the NDA government. The purchasing plan was done during the period of UPA government while Manmohan Singh was the prime Minister and A K Antony was the defence minister. It was Rs 526 crore in 2007. But after NDA government came into power, the amount of the deal got doubled in 2015. The UPA government approved the demand in 2007 and initiated the bidding. Many companies responded and finally Dassault won the contract in 2012 to provide 126 Rafale fighter jet at US$ 10.2 billion, with 18 jets to be provided ready-to-fly and rest 108 to be made in India by HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) via technology transfer."
“None of the promises of PM Modi are fulfilled. The value of rupee is decreasing in the global market. The price of LPG has increased up to Rs 850. The public should give a good reply for all these things to the central government by voting against BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he added.
