Expose BJP on Rafale deal: Narayanasamy

Speaking at the function organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the PCC Office here, Narayanasamy alleged that there was widespread corruption in the deal and added that in 2013 during the Congress-led UPA II regime, an agreement was signed to purchase an aircraft at a cost of Rs 575 crore.

During Prime Minister Narendra  Modi’s visit to France in 2015, the agreement was amended to  purchase an aircraft for Rs 1651 crore resulting in  corruption of Rs 36,000 crore, he said. Narayanasamy alleged, further, Rs 1 lakh crore was for maintenance and thus in total there was Rs 1,36,000 crore corruption in the deal.

The Chief Minister said as the  Lok Sabha election was round the corner the Congress cadre should take the Rafale  issue to the people.

He said the district and zonal congress committees should organise agitations on the issue.

Narayanasamy said the period when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, it was a golden era for the country. It was Rajiv who introduced 33 per cent reservation for women in panchayat and municipalities and because of him only over 30 lakh women were holding posts in panchayat and municipalities.

He said during Manmohan Singh’s period as PM, the growth of the country was 10.18 per cent and it dropped to 6.7 per cent in the four year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA’s tenure,  he said.

Stating that the Puducherry government is providing Rs.One crore towards flood relief in Kerala, the Chief Minister said  the congress legislators would also provide their one month salary for the cause.

He exhorted the congress volunteers to strive to collect relief materials like rice, cloth  and grains as much as they could to help the people of Kerala who are suffering.