A strong allegation levelled against PM Modi by Rahul Gandhi while talking about Rafale deal comes back to bite him. The Maharashtra security guards union has filed a police complaint against the Congress president accusing him of demeaning them.
"Rs 30,000 crore is being stolen. Entire India understands that 'Chowkidar chor hai' (watchman himself is the thief). And we will prove it." This was a strong allegation levelled against the Prime Minister of India by Congress president Rahul Gandhi while talking about Rafale deal. But little did the Congress president know that this political barb will come back to haunt him, just ahead of the general election. The Maharashtra Rajya Suraksha Rakshak Union (Maharashtra security guards union) has filed a police complaint against Rahul Gandhi accusing him of demeaning them.
is now a Humpty-Dumpty. He is irreparably damaged. No Fevicol can put it back together again.
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay)In the complaint filed in Bandra Kurla Complex police station by the union, they have raised their strong reservation against Gandhi's comment. The subject line clearly states that it is in regard to his speech at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) ground and hence comes under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai Police.
The letter states, "The comment has been made repeatedly by Rahul Gandhi that is nothing but an insult to the watchemen." The union has made its appeal wider by claiming that it's not just the watchmen, but even security forces, police and even the Army are demeaned by this statement.
Rahul Gandhi coined this phrase in an attempt to link PM Modi to what he calls "irregularities in the multi-million Rafale contract". This was said in reference to then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's election speech where he claimed in 2014 that if he is elected to power, he will protect the resources like a chowkidar (watchman).
But with election dates announced and the entire political machinery of each party concentrating on winning the election, this complaint can hurt the Congress. With chances of the BJP likely to exploit it to its advantage, Rahul Gandhi will have to pacify the watchman union, where any wrong step can prove costly at this juncture.
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