When the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the State's maiden Investors Summit at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday the Congress workers were staging a protest at Gandhi Park, demanding the PM to break his ‘stony silence’ on Rafale deal and the spiralling prices of essential commodities.
Earlier, the State Congress chief Pritam Singh had said that though his party was not inimical to the Investors Summit they would hold the protest to demand the PM to speak out his mind on the two issues confronting the nation.
Addressing the well-attended party gathering at Gandhi Park on Sunday, Singh said that if the PM has moral courage he should reply to the Congress’s questions on Rafale aircraft deal and the price rise. “He owes an answer to the nation on these two matters,” he said.
Citing figures, he said that while the deal to procure Rafale fighter jets for Indian Air Force (IAF) was finalised during the UPA regime according to which one plane was to cost Rs 526 crore the same has been purchased at a staggering cost of Rs 1670 crore during the NDA regime. The Congress leader alleged that on the insistence of Narendra Modi, the Government of India undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had been sidelined to favour Reliance under the offset clause.
Dwelling on the price rise, the State Congress chief said that soon after assuming office in 2014, Narendra Modi had promised to bring down the prices within 100 days. “But over the past four years, the prices have been going through the roof.
For instance, the gas cylinder which used to cost Rs 390 during the time of the UPA Government is now costing Rs 900,” he said.
Reiterating his party’s stance on the Investors Summit, he said that his party was not opposing it. “But we are just asking the PM to answer to two questions on Rafale deal and price rise,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly Indira Hridayesh said that Congress would continue to hold protest rallies on price rise and Rafale deal.
Among others present during the sit-in were the former ministers Dinesh Agarwal and Matbar Singh Kandari, PCC vice- president Surya Kant Dhasmana and former PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya.
