At War Memorial Launch, PM Modi Raises Rafale, Attacks Gandhi Family

All India  Edited by Anindita Sanyal

PM Narendra Modi was inaugurating the National War Memorial at the India Gate complex in New Delhi.

Updated : February 25, 2019 18:49 IST

New Delhi: 

At the opening of the National War Memorial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened an all-out attack on the Congress and pitched the Gandhi family as the opponents who always shortchanged the armed forces - from bullet-proof jackets to helicopters and now the Rafale fighter jets.  "Is it the nation first or the family first," he questioned during his address. The soldiers, assembled at the memorial in the heart of Delhi, responded with slogans of "Bharat Mata ki Jai".

With weeks to go for the national elections, the occasion acquired a political turn. Speaking before PM Modi, Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "What we need today is your trust, and trust in the Prime Minister. The welfare of ex-servicemen is always at the top of our priorities."   In his address, PM Modi launched a no-holds-barred attack. "Earlier, how soldiers were treated -- you know better than I do... from Bofors to helicopter, all investigations end at the same family. This says a lot," PM Modi said.  "Now, these guys are trying too hard to ensure the Rafale deal fails... But soon India will get its first Rafale and their conspiracies will fail," he added.

The Prime Minister also said the "previous  governments" showed "criminal negligence" when it came to addressing the needs of security forces. 

The Congress has made the acquisition of 36 Rafale jets one of their key planks for the coming national elections. The party contends that the government finalised an overpriced deal to benefit Anil Ambani, whose rookie defence firm was recommended as an offset partner for Dassault, the company manufacturing the aircraft. Both Dassault and the government have denied the Congress allegations.

Granting a long-pending demand of the armed forces, the government approved the National War Memorial project in memory of soldiers who laid down their lives since Independence.