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Rahul dares Modi for debate on Rafale deal

By The Assam Tribune

BIDAR (KARNATAKA), Aug 13 - Congress President Rahul Gandhi today challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the Rafale aircraft deal issue.

The Congress has raised several questions on the Rafale deal, accusing the government of compromising with national interests.

�...Let a debate happen between me and Narendra Modi on Rafael deal... I will speak at length for hours,� Gandhi said at �Jana Dwani� (people�s voice) rally organised by the state Congress here in north Karnataka.

In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Gandhi said, Chowkidar Hi Bhaagidar Hai. (This watchman is a collaborator),� and accused the Prime Minister of �stealing� taxpayers� money and giving it to his �friend� whose firm he alleged had bagged a contract in the Rafale deal.

Focussing most part of his speech on attacking Modi, the Congress chief charged, he was �not the prime minister of the country but he is the prime minister of 15 super rich businessmen.�

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

Meanwhile the BJP today heaped scorn on Congress president Rahul Gandhi after he challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate, saying he is not worthy to have a debate with Modi.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also claimed that Gandhi is jittery after the Income Tax department opened assessment of a firm in which he and his mother Sonia Gandhi have majority share, and alleged that the company � Young India � acquired over Rs 5,000 crore worth of assets with an investment of merely Rs 50 lakh.

The BJP leader accused Gandhi of repeatedly lying in his allegations of corruptions against the Modi government.

�If he thinks that his allegations of corruption against the Modi government or Modi will mitigate the action against him, then let me tell him that it is not going to happen,� Prasad said.

�Rahul Gandhi is not worthy to have a debate with the Prime Minister,� he said. � PTI

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