Rafale: Opposition steps up attack; Congress says Modi would be 'Accused No.1'

Stepping up its attack on the government over the Rafale deal, Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have been the "number one accused" if the long-awaited anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal had been in place and even his "broad shoulders" cannot bear the "bullets of corruption".

The attack came from Congress and other opposition parties at multiple platforms, including inside Parliament, at a day-long fast by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu seeking a special status for his state and during a Lucknow roadshow by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The CPI(M) asked the Supreme Court to revisit its earlier ruling on the Rafale matter and sought a high-level probe to get to bottom of what it described as a "scam", while BSP supremo Mayawati accused the government of ignoring national security for the sake of 'chowkidar' (watchman), a barb often used by the Opposition for the prime minister.

While the BJP leaders continued to accuse opposition leaders of getting into a huddle to save them from the government's anti-corruption crackdown, Gandhi at his roadshow asked the crowd to repeat after him his often-repeated slogan 'Chowkidar chor hai' (Watchman is the thief).

Hundreds of kilometre away in Moradabad, also in Uttar Pradesh, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Chowkidar chor nahi, chowkidar pure hai. Next PM sure hai, problem ke liye cure hai ("The watchman is not a thief, he is a pure man. He is sure to be the next PM and is a cure for problems."
On the Rafale deal, Moily said, "Now it is crystal clear why Lokpal (law) is not being implemented If it had been in place, the PM would be number one accused."
In an apparent reference to Modi's comments about his "56-inch chest", Moily said, "When bullet of corruption is hit, his broad shoulders cannot bear it."
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said, "No sovereign guarantee, no bank guarantee, no escrow account, yet a huge amount was paid as advance."