Kozhikode: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, accusing him of defending the electoral bond scheme, which the opposition labelled as “the biggest corruption scandal.” Speaking at a roadshow in Kozhikode, Gandhi criticized PM Modi’s recent interview with ANI, where the Prime Minister defended the electoral bond scheme, claiming it aimed to curb black money in elections.
“I don’t know if you saw his interview with ANI yesterday. I don’t know if you saw his face, his eyes, he was trying to defend the biggest corruption scandal on the planet through which BJP has got thousands of crores of rupees by extorting them from India’s businessmen,” Gandhi said.
WHAT DID PM MODI SAY ON ELECTROAL BONDS?
PM Modi, in his ANI interview, justified the electoral bond scheme as a measure to tackle black money in elections and accused the opposition of making baseless allegations. He warned that “everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection.” However, the Supreme Court had earlier in February this year struck down the electoral bond scheme, deeming it unconstitutional.
Continuing his criticism, Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of diverting attention from real issues by engaging in symbolic gestures. “That is why sometimes you will see him doing puja underneath the sea, sometimes he tells the people of India we will bring the Olympics to India. Another time he will say we are going to send one man to the Moon. He never talks about unemployment or price rises. He protects the richest people in the country and forgives their bank loans,” Gandhi stated.
Furthermore, the Congress leader alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP aim to alter India’s Constitution, while the Congress party and the INDIA alliance are committed to preserving it.
In a separate statement earlier on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi criticized the Agnipath scheme, terming it as an insult to the Indian Army. He pledged to abolish the scheme if the INDIA bloc came to power after the Lok Sabha polls.
“The Agnipath scheme is an insult to the Indian Army and the brave youth who dream of protecting the country. This is not a plan of the Indian Army but a plan made in Narendra Modi’s office which has been imposed on the Army…As soon as the Indian government is formed, we will immediately abolish this scheme and re-implement the old permanent recruitment process,” Gandhi announced on social media.
The Agnipath Yojana, a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces, has drawn criticism for its structure and implementation.
