Congress govt sat on Rafale deal, eyeing kickbacks, says PM Narendra Modi

Modi blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delays in acquiring military hardware

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delays in acquiring military hardware, claiming that the party was more focused on “commissions” from defence deals.

Addressing a rally in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur, he alleged that the Congress sat on the deal for the Rafale fighter jet as it was eyeing the “malai” (commission, kickbacks) from it.

He said the Congress focus has been was on “malai”, not on national security.

Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Meerut, kicking off his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.