PM takes 'Quattrocchi mama' jibe at Congress, says it was 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 the 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 in the Rafale deal.

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

In an all out attack on the Congress, Modi accused the party 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 the defence forces, and the second is of those forces which want to weaken the country at every cost," he said.

"From which nations these people are getting support, the country is watching. What is the reason that the language of some people are evoking applause in Pakistan?" Modi said.

The prime minister said the people are seeing that "the Congress is aligning with those forces which do not want our defence forces to become stronger."
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."