Bengaluru: Escalating his campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday accused it of destroying the “strategic asset”state-run aerospace company HAL and told its employees that “Rafale is your right.”
Giving a new twist to his high-pitch Rafale campaign, Gandhi sought to reach out to present and former HAL employees, alleging that “temples of modern India are being attacked and destroyed; we cannot allow it to be done.” “Rafale is your right; you are a 78-year-old company.You have the experience to build the plane,” the Congress president said at the event held at Minsk Square near the HAL headquarters, after hearing the former and present employees. He said it was “completely ridiculous” for the government to say that HAL did not have the required experience.
Gandhi told the gathering that he understood “deeply” that they were pained and hurt and “this is as important to me as any corruption or anything that has happened.”
“People who have given their lives, people who have stood by this country are feeling emotionally upset because they have been insulted. I know that the government is not going to apologise, but on their behalf I apologise to you, even though I have nothing to do with it. I understand that that you are hurt and I want to stand with you in your discomfort,” he said.
The gravamen of most of the employees who spoke was that HAL had the capability to make Rafale, but an attempt was being made to “dismantle” the defence PSU and the workers feel “hurt and let down,” he said.
Gandhi said the work done by HAL for the country was tremendous and the country owed a debt to it for “protecting us” and creating a scientific vision.
HAL is a strategic asset in aerospace, not an ordinary or regular company, he said.
Speaking to reporters after the event,Gandhi said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talked about lack of experience of HAL, but had said anything about the lack of experience of Anil Ambani, “who has been never built a plane in his life.”
“HAL has no debt, he has Rs 45,000 crore of debt. HAL has been working for 78 years. His company has been working for 12 days. So she has no comment about the person who got the contract. She has to comment about HAL’s experience.” (PTI)
