Cong activists protest, seek probe by JPC in Rafale scam

Congress leaders and activists staging protest march in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
Congress leaders and activists staging protest march in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Sept 5: As a country wide protest programme, the Congress activists today held massive protest demonstrations at Jammu and Srinagar over Rafale deal seeking JPC probe into the matter.
Led by AICC secretary In-charge J&K Shakeel Ahmad (MLA), PCC president GA Mir, a large number of senior Congress leaders and workers held a protest demonstration at Shahidi Chowk Jammu and marched towards the office of DC Jammu raising slogans seeking JPC probe into the Rafale scam, carrying banners and placards in favour of the demand. Later, they also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu.
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Accusing the Modi Government of keeping the country in dark over Rafale deal, the PCC chief said that this protest was an expression of the mounting frustration felt by the people of India and complete failure of the government on the pressing issues of not only malpractice in the Rafale deal, but also unemployment, inflation, farmers exploitation.
Mir questioned BJP-led government for procuring each Rafale fighter at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore against Rs 526 crore finalized by the previous UPA Government. “The Prime Minister should come forward and tell the country about the cost of Rafale deal. The time has come to seek answers from the BJP-led Central Government,” Mir said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have lied to the country by keeping it in the dark over the Rafale deal. The agreement has no clause requiring the government to keep the price of the deal hidden, but only the technicalities of the fighter jets. The government is trying to hide a scam worth Rs 41,000 crore,” Mir said.
The Congress leader alleged that Anil Ambani had floated the company 12 days before the contract was signed and Mr Modi played crucial role in the Reliance company securing the Rs 61,000-crore deal. He said awarding such important deal to an inexperienced company would tantamount to weakening the Defense sector. Mir said despite repeated demands by All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi for a comprehensive probe into the deal with the French company Dassault, the Modi Government was silent.
Prominent among them include- former DyCM Tara Chand, Ex-MP Madan Lal Sharma, former ministers Mula Ram, RS Chib, Raman Bhalla, Kanta Bhan vice president, senior leaders Ravinder Sharma, Vikram Malhotra (DCC chief Jammu- U), Hari Singh Chib (DCC -JR chief), Rajnish Sharma, Balwan Singh, Yogesh Sawhney, Manmohan Singh, Namrata Sharma, Ch Shah Nawaz, Indu Pawar, Shiv Dev Singh, Ch Gharu Ram, Prof Gharu Ram Bhagat, YV Sharma, KL Gupta, Kuldeep Raj Verma, Vinod Sharma, SS Shangari, Shiv Kumar Sharma (INTUC), Gurdarshan Singh, Pawan Raina, Shashi Sharma, Neeraj Gupta, Manjeet Singh Jatt, Sukhdev Choudhary, Suresh Bargotra, Jai Singh, Ch. Dwarka,
PCC also lodged strong protests against the Centre Govt in Kupwara & Budgam districts and described the Modi Govt as most corrupt responsible for the economic losses, besides damages to the peace in the country.
A meeting of senior Party functionaries and workers was held in district Kupwara, which was presided over by Gulam Nabi Monga MLC & JKPCC vice president.
On this occasion District president Haji Farooq also addressed the meeting.
The Congress workers and leaders lodged a strong protest against the wrong policies of the BJP Govt, blaming the Centre Govt over embezzlement of thousands of crores while procuring the Rafale fighter planes, besides allotting this project to a non-technical firm owned by Ambani’s, to benefit the Corporator giant of the Country.
Speaking on the occasion Monga said that price hike on petroleum products and other essentials have pushed the people to the wall, but despite the failure of the Centre Govt to contain the economic losses Prime Minister is making tall and false claims with regard to development of the people.
Similarly, a meeting of party activists and leaders was held today in Budgam district on this occasion. Spokesperson Farooq Andrabi, I/C District president Zahid Hussain, Mohd Akbar Mir, Gazi Ruhullah and other leaders were present and lodged a strongly protest against the corruption and political exploitation by the BJP Govt at Centre.
They said BJP has compromised on the security of the Country while procuring defence material from non-technical firms that too on highest rates. Later, a detailed memorandum was submitted to President of India through Deputy Commissioners in both the districts.

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