PM takes 'Quattrocchi mama' jibe at Sonia Gandhi, says Cong upset over transparent defence deals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday tore into the Congress in Sonia Gandhi's home turf, saying the party was "agitated" and telling "lies" as there was no "Quattrocchi uncle" or Christian Michel in BJP government's defence deals and slammed it for trying to create "distrust" against the judiciary.

This was the prime minister's first public comments after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the BJP government on the Rafale deal.

It was also the prime minister's first public meeting in Sonia Gandhi's home turf after the BJP lost the three heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the Congress and its allies.

In all out attack on the Congress, Modi accused the Congress of aligning with forces which do not want to see India's defence forces becoming strong.

"There are two facets before the country...one is of the government which is making every possible effort to augment the strength of defence forces, and the second is of those forces which want to weaken the country at every cost," he said.

The prime minister said people were witnessing that "the Congress is aligning with those forces which do not want our defence forces to become stronger."
Citing a couplet from the Ramcharit Manas, he said there
Referring to the AgustaWestland chopper case, he said: "We have brought one uncle Christian Michel to India a few days back."
Noting that after the Kargil conflict, there was a need for modern aircraft, the prime minister said, "The Congress ruled the country for ten years, but it did not allow the Air Force to get strengthened. Why? And under whose pressure?"
Accusing the Congress of failing to provide bullet proof jackets to jawans, he said, "In 2009, the Indian Army had demanded 1.86 lakh bullet proof jackets. But, in the five years of UPA-II, these were not purchased."