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Is Rafale going to be Bofors for BJP?

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Fri, Jul 27, 2018, 02:10 PM

Is Rafale going to be Bofors for BJP

New Delhi, July 27: The Rafale deal and the relentless claim of disdain rolled by Rahul Gandhi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi have possibly made the controversy the BJP's Bofors moment in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

'Bofors redux' is how senior Congress leaders see the deal and despite the BJP's attempts to disregard the allegations in general election season, the Congress feels it has found a weak spot and will not let go till the 2019 polls which are a mere 8 months away.



After speaking to a range of Congress and opposition leaders, several important points materialized.

The top Congress leaders say that Gandhi, in his first Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held last week, put his party on notice that the Rafale deal and allegations of civility are at the top of the party's agenda.

Gandhi highlighted that he expects the entire party to take it up outside and inside parliament. Gandhi added that he would personally be observing each leaders'amenability with the task of pinning the BJP down on the 'Rafale deal'.

Several leaders say that Gandhi's pointed attack in the house was about as fine as it could get: "The deal was taken away from HAL [Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, a public sector company] and given to a person who is in debt and who has no experience in this."

Congress leaders contend with each other to favor the exemption motion filed by the party against Modi and defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman for puzzling the house.

Gandhi has been continually targeting Modi for his closeness to several billionaires which include Gautam Adani, Anil Ambani and Ajay Piramal. Trustworthy sources say that the Congress has planned a bitter campaign that targets Modi and his alleged confidants.

"Please tell me who has made the BJP the richest party in all of Asia?" a senior leader said. Since 2014, India has had 4 revolving Raksha Mantris.

While the BJP has tried to ensure that a pliant media does not give extensive play to the Rafale deal, the issue still does not seem to be dying down. More so, the rise of opposition politics, in general, is haunting the BJP.

Every government believes it will always be in power, so it can flip it out. Fact is, governments change, but a nation's military needs don't. It is for the Modi government to prevent Rafale from becoming the new Bofors.

It should stop shaking its fingers at those asking questions. It should also begin reinterpreting defence purchases. Many myths need breaking. We are impressed when told that we are the world's largest arms importers.

But it looks different when you are reminded that we are the 4th largest military and the top 3, America, Russia and China do not import much, while we make too little.