New Delhi:
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lying about the ordnance factory in Amethi – his Lok Sabha constituency. Modi had inaugurated a manufacturing unit for AK-203 rifles, an India-Russia joint venture, in Amethi on Saturday. The Congress chief claimed that the ordnance factory in Amethi was inaugurated by himself in 2010 and the small arms were being manufactured there for the last few years.
“I laid the foundation stone for Amethi ordnance factory in 2010 and for the past few years it has been manufacturing small arms. Yesterday you went to Amethi and, as usual, lied. Don’t you feel ashamed at all?” the Congress chief tweeted.
Addressing a gathering in Rahul Gandhi’s constituency, the prime minister had lashed out at the Congress party for misusing the resources and said that the production in Amethi ordnance factory, which was launched in 2007, was supposed to start from 2010 but nothing happened.
“Tall promises were made. Your local MP promised that he would ensure employment to 1,500 locals in this ordnance factory but merely 200 got jobs. Imagine those who couldn’t ensure jobs to people in Amethi are now lecturing on employment,” Modi said.
Modi, who also announced other development projects worth Rs 538 crore for the region, said that Amethi will now be known for making AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles which will be manufactured at the Korba ordnance factory.
"Now, Amethi will not be known for a famous family but for AK 203, ‘Made in Amethi’. These rifles will help our jawans in encounters with naxals and terrorists," he added.
Since its creation in 1967, Amethi has been a stronghold of the Congress and the party had won all but two Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi had been representing Amethi since 2004. Before that, his mother Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi have also represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha.
