My Press Briefing in AICC 5-September 2018

ALL INDIA CONGRESS COMMITTEE

24, AKBAR ROAD, NEW DELHI

COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Shri Singhvi said- Because this Government is acting selectively, discriminately, it is making rules as a goose along. It is changing the goalpost as the match is in progress. It is converting and inventing rules as the game is on. Friends, there is a saying in English ‘what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. अब यहाँ Goose कौन है और Gander कौन है Goose is the Private Indian company in the Rafale deal, and Gander is the other Private Indian company in AK-103, who might have got the off-set. As I told this briefing is not about AK-103. Please clear the misunderstanding. I am asking a simple question on two facets – it defies my logic, perhaps I am less intelligent, this country is less intelligent, than the rulers but perhaps our ruler should enlighten us with a great intelligence, why don’t you apply respectively on the Rafale deal.

 A fallacious argument of the Modi Govt on the Rafale Scam have been nipped in the bud, by its own recent negotiations in another Defence deal, which is the AK-rifle deal with Russia:- That the Rafale deal was a Government to Government agreement and the Modi Govt had absolutely no role in facilitating the Rs 30,000 Cr Offset Contract + Rs 1, 00,000 Cr ‘Life Cycle Contract’ to a private entity which had zero experience in manufacturing aircrafts.

According to several media reports, it has been revealed that the Defence Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has reportedly turned down a Russian request to make another private Indian entity its partner for the joint manufacture of Rs 3,000-crore worth of AK-103 assault rifles for the Indian Army. Modi Govt has reportedly advised Russia that its firm Kalashnikov Concern should tie up with the staterun Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) if it wants its proposal to manufacture the AK-103 assault rifles in India to be considered by the Defence Ministry. Why did it not apply the same principle in the Rafale Scam? Why did Modi Govt not advise Dassault Aviation to negotiate further with government run HAL?

Especially when Foreign Secretary in his customary briefing before PM Modi’s France trip, (on 8th April 2015) said categorically that “in terms of Rafale, my understanding is, discussions were underway between the French Company, our Ministry of Defence, the HAL which is involved in this. There are ongoing discussions. These are very technical, detailed discussions…”.This was just 48 hours before PM; Shri Modi signed a unilateral contract for 36 Rafale aircrafts in Paris, France on 10th April, 2015.

It has also been revealed that the MoD reportedly shot down Kalashnikov Concern’s proposal for a joint venture with the private Indian entity- which has recently entered the defence sector, to produce the 7.62×39 mm calibre AK-103 gun, which is a derivative of the iconic AK-47 rifle. “If Russia wants a government-to-government deal, it cannot suggest private sector companies for a JV,” told an official source to a widely read newspaper.

MoD last month rejected also said that if the Russians want to partner with a private Indian entity, they must come through the ‘tender route’. Why was this same principle not applied then during the Rafale Scam? Is the Modi Govt lying in the AK-rifle deal or in the Rafale deal?  Hasn’t its ‘source based’- ‘headlines management’ backfired now? Since Modi Govt has virtually given up ‘Make in India’ in Defence, by only getting an investment of Rs 1 Cr till now, it is imperative for them to clear the air on the same. The Nation is waiting for a clear answer on this Doublespeak !

The BJP led Vasundhara Raje Govt is using people’s money from the state treasury for self-promotion. The Hon’ble High court has now effectively banned any Government functions during BJP’s ‘Gaurav Yatra’. It was widely reported how BJP used people’s money to further political goals by spending Rs 1 crore on CM Vasundhara Raje’s Gaurav Yatra from August 4 to 10 just in the Udaipur division itself!

Weeks before the Model Code of Conduct is supposed to be in place and when it is absolutely sure that CM Smt. Vasundhara Raje and her BJP Govt would be rejected by the people in the forthcoming elections- the BJP is public money to ‘Collectively Bribe’ the people of Rajasthan. It is offering Mobile Phones as an ‘Electoral Lollipop’ at tax payers money to garner votes.There is nothing wrong in making ‘Manifesto Promises’ but spending People’s money to offer an ‘Electoral Bribe’ is an offence.

Part IV of the People’s Representation Act, 1951 clearly lays down the laws of the land in this aspect and explicitly defines the term ‘Bribery’. This offering of BJP by distributing Mobile Phones, just before the elections, is ‘Collective Bribery’ of ‘Monumental Proportions’.

It is being announced that BJP’s Rajasthan Govt will provide free smartphone with Internet connectivity , under the ‘Bhamashah Digital ParivarYojana’ to families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the state. As per government records, 1.64 crore families with 6.08 crore members are enrolled with Bhamashah. Of these, 1.03 crore families are entitled to receive benefits under the NFSA.

 On behalf of the people of Rajasthan, Congress party wants to ask:-

1)     Why the Vasundhara Raje Govt diddidwake up after 56 months of slumber, just before the elections to give away mobile phones? Does it not want to hide its monumental failures?

2)     Why is t`he BJP Government using public money for an electoral benefit?

3)     Is it not a case of a ‘Collective Bribery’ of the Electorate?

4)     Is it not true that BJP Government used Public Money for its ‘Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra’? It even used state treasury to buy pen drives for Rs 16000 and mufflers for Rs 63,000!

5)     People of India and people of Rajasthan are aware that the National Food Security Act was brought in by the Congress-UPA Government under the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and DrManmohan Singh. Instead of expanding its base- the Modi Govt and the BJP ruled states are indulging in these mindless freebies that also in the last lap of their terms.

6)     Why is the BJP insulting the legacy of the Great Bhamashahji, who was also the treasury – in-charge of Mewar, under Maharaja Amar Singh? He was known for his astuteness in finances- yet the BJP is hurting the treasury by this mindless electoral bribery and insulting his legacy.

People of Rajasthan will and shall not be lured by these electoral lollipops, they have already made up their mind to overthrow the corrupt and inefficient BJP regime.

To a question on Petro hike issue, Shri Singhvi said (in Hindi at 26.00 mts.) He also added that 50% of such levies are all covered by tax. Now you are not able to pass on 1%, 2%, 5% or 10% namely Rs. 40 out of Rs. 80 you are passing on nothing and you are telling this poor ‘Aam Aadmi’ that we have given you ‘Achhe Din’. That we stand with you, which can be bigger hypocrisy than this? What is the point of talking of foreign policy, Iran, oil pipe line, barrel? This is in your hands and while it is possible to say that when it was X or Y we did not do it, it is not a rule cast in stone that if the price crosses Rs. 100 if it crosses Rs. 120, we are ‘Sarkar’ of Zidd, we are the ‘Republic of obstinacy’. We will not change because we are infallible and we are ruled by autocrat.

On the question on ‘Swarn Community Protest’, Shri Singhvi said- Let me summarize the Congress’ stand on this issue, and I do not want to be misquoted. The so-called ‘Swarn Community’, the question is not limited to them, today the question touches every major segment of Indian society; No doubt ‘Swaran Community’ but also our SC/ST brothers and sisters, the backwards and the poor, Ultimately, if there is a huge amount of anger, shock, huge amount of feeling of trust deficit being let down, being insulted on account of an absolutely failed economic system, one of the most shocking levels of unemployment, a distorted and badly madly applied GST, scams like Rafale, SMEs tottering under unbearable weight etc. etc. then I think an egotistic dictatorial ‘Modi Sarkar’ has a lot to answer from every segment of society including each of the above categories, I have mentioned. I do not think that anybody protesting against this comical phrase which is thrust upon the country everyday by an insensitive ‘Modi Sarkar’ namely ‘Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikaas’, I do not think any segment is beyond the reach of this comical phrase and therefore, they have every right to protest.

In relation to the query on Shri Randeep Singh Surjewala addressing a Brahmin Sammelan, Shri Singhvi said -The Congress Party has done this many times earlier. A person belonging to a party in our department does it, and you just attack for the sake of attacking, have we not had an ‘OBC Sammelan’, have you not had a ‘SC/ST Sammelan’, have you not a ‘Brahmin Sammelan’ earlier? See, what was said there? I have quoted to you. Without seeing anything, you shoot from the hip because I remember the same thing, it is the feeling of ‘Aatank’, you are terrorized because you know that there is actually mis-governance in Haryana, there is actual mis-governance in Rajasthan, you do not answer those questions using ‘Hathkandas’ – attack anybody – a man goes to ‘Mansarovar’, attack him for the sake of it. That is the real issue.

On the question of the reaction of the Congress Party that National Conference will boycott the ‘Panchayat’ elections in J&K on Article 35A issue, Shri Singhvi said – I am not here to comment on stands taken individually by party ‘X’ or ‘Y’. All I can do is reiterate and repeat the Congress Party’s stand. The Congress Party’s stand has been crystal clear. All such issues be it 35A, be it Uniform Civil Code, be it constant threat being given to ‘Change the Constitution’, we will do this, we will do that. Every week a new shagoofa is thrown. It is like a new small firework that you do during Diwali – why – because you want to divert the Nation’s attention from solid mis-governance, you will never talk of corruption and the example we have given of Rajasthan, of scams like Rafale, you will never talk of ‘Berozgari’,  ‘Unemployment’, you will never talk of Growth Rate, Demonetization, GST. How do you divert the minds of the people and perhaps they should ask the Attorney General of India, who a few days ago, asked on the one hand for the postponement of 35A adjudication, but the Government keeps on hanging and dangling of every sort giving a statement here and there. So these are all purely diversionary, digressive tactics to fool the people, to create a climate acclamare and I think by now the law of the diminishing returns of such tactics existed long-long ago and people understand exactly what is happening.

Sd/-

(Vineet Punia)

Secretary

Communication Deptt.

AICC

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