Union Minister for railways and coal Piyush Goyal has attacked the Congress and its leaders for undermining the nation’s security and giving priority to their own selfish interests rather than being concerned about their duty.
Addressing the business community in Ludhiana on Sunday, Goyal said that on 26/11, when Mumbai was under attack, the then Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh was busy trying to ensure a film role for his son.
As per reports, Goyal Said, “I am from Mumbai. You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role.”
It is notable here that actor Riteish Deshmukh is the son of former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh. Vilasrao Deshmukh was the CM of Maharashtra during the 26/11 attacks. He was criticised by the opposition parties and the public who had alleged that he was meeting filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma when Mumbai was under attack. Deshmukh and his deputy RR Patil had resigned from their respective posts in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.
Both Deshmukh and Ram Gopal Verma had initially denied the allegations. But reports had revealed that Verma was indeed given a guided tour of the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi hotel by the former CM and his son because he wanted to make a movie on the attacks. Ram Gopal Verma was also explained in detail about how the terrorists had holed up and how the operation was carried out.
Deshmukh, however, was inducted in the Union cabinet in 2009 by the Manmohan Singh government. He died of multiple organ failure in 2012.
Piyush Goyal did not stop at Deshmukh alone. Furthering his attack on the Congress, Goyal stated that the erstwhile Congress government under Manmohan Singh was a “Coward government” as it did not respond to Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Goyal stated that our armed forces were ready and capable of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. He added that the armed forces kept waiting for orders to respond to Pakistan but the order that was to come from the government never came.
