The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on Saturday in the heat of the election campaign attacked the Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s father, the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi as “corrupt number 1”.
“Your father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ”Bhrashtachari No 1” (corrupt number 1),” Mr. Modi said at a rally in UP.
The PM was probably referring to the Bofors case that devastated the Congress government of Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s and ruined the party’s prospects of returning to power for years. The scandals exposed the kickbacks given to Rajiv Gandhi by the Swedish manufacturer for the sale of its artillery gun to India.
The High Court judgement said there was no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi accepted bribes. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.
Rahul Gandhi reacted these comments calling out “Karma” :-
Modi Ji,
The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won’t protect you.
All my love and a huge hug.
Rahul
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019
Below are more reactions:-
https://twitter.com/divyaspandana/status/1124935066893803520
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was brutally killed by the enemies of India. Will abusing the assassinated former PM in public actually bring in votes? If so, India is wallowing in a pit of moral degradation https://t.co/iyy81Dnc1C
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 5, 2019
Is there any low that hasn’t been reached by this disgusting and despicable man?
Congratulations @narendramodi, you outdo yourself every time. Every time I think you can’t go any lower, you do and how! pic.twitter.com/RPLuNsOYZ7
— Aiyshwarya Mahadev | ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯ ಮಂಚನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಮಹದೇವ (@AiyshwaryaM) May 5, 2019
The PM Narendra Modi triggered the Bofors case only because he too was facing allegations of kickbacks for making purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts from France’s Dassault Aviation at a much higher price tag and awarding the offset contract to industrialist Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence. Mr. Ambani who is facing bankruptcy charges, hopes to turn things around with the Rafale contract.
The opposition alleged that Mr. Modi was favouring a few industrialists, promoting crony capitalism.
Although the allegations have been denied by the centre and Reliance, however the case still remains open in the Supreme Court of India. Rahul Gandhi has promised an investigation into the case if voted to power.