Muzaffarnagar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shatrughan Sinha who has been at loggerheads with the party leadership over a range of issues, yet again launched an attack on the Centre over the Rafale deal. He appealed to all opposition leaders to unite to defeat the BJP in the 2019 general election.
He said questions were being asked why an experienced company like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was set aside and a new company got the contract for the Rafale deal. Sinha added that a French publication had quoted former French president Francois Hollande as saying that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence as a partner for the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation for the deal.
He was speaking at a farmers' panchayat in Tawli village on Sunday evening. Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also addressed the farmers at the gathering.
The Congress and the BJP have been involved in a war of words over the deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France, with claims and counter-claims flowing thick and fast.
Earlier also, he had also echoed the allegations by opposition parties against the Centre over the Rafale deal. He had said: "Honesty & transparency seldom go together. The self described & self mooted - most honest & transparent Govt getting commendations on great Rafale deal, the extraordinary management of Dollar–INR ratio, the effective control of petrol & diesel prices etc etc --the day dreaming continues. Sir, when will we come out of our shell & explain to public the realities of life? Instead, is remaining in AC offices guarded by Ministers/Spokespersons the latest dharma of Ram Rajya?? Matchless efficiency or highest arrogance?? Sir, 'Ye public hai, sab janti hai'."
Sinha had earlier also attacked PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah claiming that he belonged to the "Bharatiya Janata" (Indian public) before he owed allegiance to any party. He had also said that the BJP had become a "one man show two man army" a jibe aimed at PM Modi and Shah.
He had also tweeted saying "'One man show and two men army' still stay in their arrogance and extraordinary overconfidence, displayed once again in the form of 'Ruling India for next 50 years'. Is it because of ...controlled EVMs."
