Cong finalises month-long, country wide agitation against Modi Govt on corruption

19/08/2018

New Delhi, Aug 18: Stepping up attack on the Modi government, the Congress today finalised a month-long, countrywide agitation to "expose" the alleged corruption under the BJP rule including the Rafale jet deal. The party also demanded that Kerala floods be declared a 'national calamity'.
The final shape to the party's agitational plan was given at a meeting of top Congress leaders, including party general secretaries and in-charges of various states, state unit chiefs and legislature party leaders, chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi.
"It was decided that corruption, scams of the Modi government particularly the Rafale scam will be taken to people of India," party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
In the next 30 days, Congress workers will do district and state level demonstrations. We will ensure a fair probe, independent probe, a JPC is constituted immediately. We will not be deterred and pushed back," he said, adding "we will push the government.... ensuring that the Rafale scam and corruption scams are exposed".
The party, he said, discussed the Rafale deal in detail and claimed that the scam has cost the exchequer Rs 41,000 crore. He alleged that a company belonging to a "friend" of the Prime Minister has been given a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore under the deal after snatching it away from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The government and the BJP have dismissed the allegations levelled by the Congress on the Rafale deal.
Besides, other political challenges in the election going states were also deliberated, Surjewala said.
Surjewala said the party also demanded that Kerala floods be declared as a "national calamity" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to play politics in such matters.
"Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs.500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering, Gandhi tweeted earlier.
He had also demanded in another tweet that Kerala floods be declared a national disaster without any delay, saying the lives, livelihood and future of millions of people is at stake. Surjewala claimed that while the central government has only provided Rs 100 crore relief to the state government, there has been a huge loss of life and damage to properties to the extent of Rs 2,000-3,000 crore due to the floods.
"We believe Modiji should stop discriminating in the matters of flood relief between BJP and non-BJP governments. Only mere Rs 100 crore has been given to Kerala.
"It's time the PM rises above political partisan game and comes forward as a nation to help the people of Kerala and Karnataka and declare Kerala floods as a national calamity," he said.
Surjewala later tweeted, saying, Tragic that PM Modi announced a pittance of ?500 Cr for Kerala flood relief against the State's demand of ?2000 Crore. Painful that Modi Government is playing politics over flood relief merely because BJP has no presence in the state.
Floods, human tragedy and unprecedented devastation can't be subject matter of partisan politics as is being done by Modi Government in Kerala flood.
Federalism envisages handholding and co-operation in such times. Does an autocratic Central Govt understand this foundational principle? , he also said in another tweet.
He said the Congress governments in different states are contributing to the relief funds while all party MPs, MLAs, MLCs will donate one-month's salary.
The Punjab government and the JDS-Congress Karnataka government have sent Rs 10 crore each, while the Puducherry government has contributed Rs one crore, he said. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 194 lives since August 8. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.
We also noted with concern the grave situation arising out of floods in Karnataka and as also rest of the country. In the entire country 324 people have lost their lives besides a lot of loss to property and other things, he said. A Special Relief Committee in the adjoining states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry would be constituted wherein all material possible will be collected by Congress workers and will be sent to people of Kerala.

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