Rahul Gandhi: corruption must be probed, whether it involves Vadra or Rafale

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a short interview in Ludhiana, Punjab, during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, that any case of corruption should be investigated and punished, whoever is involved, including allegations against his brother-in-law Robert Vadra. He also said the Congress could not form a government on its own and expected a coalition.

Expectations from the results

Asked about the results due on May 23, Gandhi said the Congress would win but that the people would decide, and the party would accept their choice. He said it looked like there would be a coalition government. In his view, voters were unhappy with Narendra Modi and the BJP over demonetisation, what he called the “Gabbar Singh Tax”, unemployment, farmers’ distress, the economy and corruption. He argued that Modi had kept switching his campaign themes, from development to nationalism and then to attacks on the Gandhi family.

Rafale and Vadra

Gandhi said he took questions without notes or pre-set questions, and claimed the Prime Minister avoided press conferences because of Rafale. He alleged that Anil Ambani had been handed Rs 30,000 crore with Modi’s help. When the interviewer raised allegations that Vadra had been favoured under the earlier Congress governments, he said anyone who had done wrong should be investigated and punished, whether or not they were family. He added that investigations were going on into many matters but not Rafale, and said he would not lead any probe himself.

Ministerial experience and Pulwama

On why he never became a minister, Gandhi said he had promised Manmohan Singh he would not interfere in his government; Singh had asked him three times to join, but he declined. He said he and Sonia Gandhi had decided to keep running the government separate from running the party.

Asked why the Congress did not raise the question of an intelligence failure after the Pulwama attack, he said he had deliberately held a press conference to say the party would not politicise it and stood with the CRPF and the government, because the country was hurt. He accused Modi of using attacks for political gain and said most of the press had not questioned the government, while the Congress had fought on people’s issues.

What happened next

Votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election were counted on 23 May 2019. The BJP won 303 of the 543 seats and the Congress 52, and Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on 30 May 2019.

See also: Indian National Congress

Originally published on 17 May 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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