PM Modi accuses Congress of distrusting Armed forces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of trusting the enemy's claims over the Indian Army's and weakening the forces including the Indian Air Force.

"The people of the party (Congress) that raises questions on surgical strikes, trust enemy's claims more than our Army, what can be expected of them?" said Prime Minister Modi while addressing a rally here.

"After the Kargil War, our Air Force was in need of modern aircraft. After the government of Atal ji, Congress ruled the country for 10 long years, but the Air Force did not become strong. They (Congress) basically wanted our forces to be weak," added the Prime Minister.

Just days after the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged irregularities in Rafale aircraft deal, Prime Minister Modi accused the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress of spreading lies since forever.

"Such people feel that even the country's defence ministry is lying, the defence minister is also lying, officers of the IAF are liars, too. Now they believe that the highest court of the country is also spreading lies," said Prime Minister Modi.

The Rafale jet deal controversy has been on the boil over the last few months. The Congress and other opposition parties have been alleging irregularities in the high-profile deal. The fighter jet is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, which security analysts believe can be a 'game-changer' for India's defence system.

"Congress has a poor record on defence deals. If one looks closely, Bofors scam came to light during their tenure. Some or the other foreigner was involved in every defence deal during the UPA regime. Chopper scam accused Christian Michel has been brought to the country a few days back. Everyone saw how Congress had sent its lawyers to save him. Our deal (Rafale) does not have any Quattrocchi uncle and Michel mama (maternal uncle). For us, our nation is always above party," he asserted.

Touching upon the initiatives taken by his government, the Prime Minister said that they purchased as many as 50,000 bulletproof jackets in 2016 for the Army and a total of 1, 86,000 indigenously made bulletproof jackets have been ordered in April this year.

"In 2009, the Indian Army had sought 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets. Five years passed from 2009 to 2014, but bulletproof jackets were not purchased for the military. But after coming to power at the Centre we purchased 50,000 bulletproof jackets for the Army in 2016. I also want to convey to the people of the country that a total of 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets have been ordered in April this year. The jackets have been manufactured by an Indian company," the Prime Minister emphasised.