BJP to counter Congress with pressers in 70 cities to defend Rafale deal

BJP CMs, Union ministers to target Congress in 70 cities over Rafale deal

Seeking to turn the tables on the Congress over the Rafale issue, the BJP will deploy its top leaders, including chief ministers and Union ministers, in 70 cities across the country on Monday to attack the opposition party.

"The BJP will unmask the Congress' conspiracy against the government and its attempt to play with national security after the Supreme Court has categorically stated the truth about that the Rafale deal," the party's media head and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni said.

The judgment, he said, has "nailed the lie" of those levelling allegations against the government over the fighter aircraft contract.

Sources said Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadanvis, Vijay Rupani, Sarbananda Sonowal, its chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam, respectively, will address the media in Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Agartala respectively.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Jaavdekar, J P Nadda, Smriti Irani, Suresh Prabhu, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and party's organisational leaders will also speak to the media on Monday at different places.

In a boost to the BJP-led central government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking probe into the Rafale deal.

The court said there is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet deal with France.

Following the judgement, BJP president Amit Shah has sought an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi who, however, stuck to his guns and alleged corruption in the deal.