Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delay in getting the Rafale military aircraft, saying the party sat on the deal as it was eyeing kickbacks.
Launching the BJP’s poll campaign in Uttarakhand from Rudrapur, the prime minister said the Congress cared more for malai (commission) than national security.
He pitched the BJP as the party that stood for the armed forces, saying the Congress governments cared little for what they sought — modern weapons, bullet-proof jackets and the one rank, one pension scheme that his own government has implemented.
He said the deal for the French military aircraft was mooted during the term of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but the following Congress-led governments of delayed the acquisition.
