Skip to main content

Surat couple explain ‘Rafale deal facts’ in wedding card, earn PM Modi’s praise

The couple even requested the guests invited for the wedding to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

A Gujarati couple has earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for designing their wedding invitation card with a dedicated page justifying the NDA government’s decision to buy Rafale fighter jets.

In a letter sent to the Surat-based couple – Yuvraj Pokharna and bride-to-be Sakshi Agrawal – Modi described the content of the card as “ingenious” and asserted that it had inspired him to work even harder for the country. The couple will be tying the knot on January 22.

Talking to media Monday, Pokharna said he received Modi’s letter, which is addressed to his mother Babita Prakash Pokharna, on January 17 through e-mail. “Heartiest Congratulations to Pokharna family on the joyous occasion of the marriage of Yuvraj and Sakshi. I noticed a unique feature of the marriage invitation card sent to the guests,” read the letter signed and sent by Modi.

“The ingenuity of its content reflects your abiding concern and love for the nation. This also inspires me to keep working harder for our country,” the letter said. “Best wishes and blessings to the couple for a happy and prosperous life,” Modi said in the letter shared by Yuvraj Pokharna with the media.

On the second page of the invitation card, the couple has tried to justify the multi-crore defence contract with France by enlisting several points under the heading “Some facts about Rafale deal”. “Even a fool will not compare prices of a simple fly-away aircraft with a weaponised jet,” reads the very first line, followed by some figures, comparisons and information. “It would be cheaper than the price which UPA had negotiated. The price (Rs 526 crore) which Congress quotes is nowhere in official documents. The weaponised aircraft is 20 per cent cheaper,” it said.

“The offset was given to 72 companies including DRDO, TATA, Mahindra…in which HAL is also included,” it added. On the controversy surrounding the alleged last-minute exclusion of PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) from the deal, the couple defended the Modi government by writing, “UPA itself had refused the contract to HAL, which quoted 2.7 higher man hours required for the job”.

Talking to reporters, Pokharna said he was extremely happy that Modi noticed the gesture and showered praises. “I am surprised to know that the PM gives so much importance to a common man like me. I hope that the content of the card would clear people’s doubt about the deal,” said Pokharna, a self-confessed BJP supporter.

The couple even requested the guests invited for the wedding to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “Our gift would be whatsoever you may wish to contribute towards BJP via NAMO app and your vote for Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” reads the footnote on the front page of the invitation card.

Translate this page:

You can translate the content of this page by selecting a language in the select box.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Western Railway assigns special trains to run during Ganesh Chaturthi

Western Railways has assigned special trains that will run during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. These special trains will mostly cater to the Konkan coasts spanning across Maharashtra and Goa. western Railways has assigned special trains that will run during Ganesh Chaturthi between Mumbai Central/Ahmedabad Vadodara Junction and Thivim/Sawantwadi Road to clear extra rush of passengers during the festival. These special trains will mostly cater to the Konkan coasts spanning across Maharashtra and Goa. The focus seems to be to connect all points of the Konkan coast with each other. Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha. Given below is the list of special trains for Ganesh Chaturthi festival this year: 1) Train No. 09007/09008 Mumbai Central Thivim Mumbai Central (Bi-weekly) Special on special fare : Train No. 09007 Mumbai Central Thivim (Bi-Weekly) Special on special fare will leave from Mumbai Central at 23.55 hrs on August 29, September 2, S...

Weather Forecast, Cyclone Vayu today Live Updates: Storm moving away from Gujarat coast, alert continues

Weather Forecast, Cyclone Vayu Today in Gujarat, Mumbai LIVE News Updates: According to Skymet Weather, the cyclone which at present is Category 2 storm may weaken into a Category 1 storm. Weather Forecast, Cyclone Vayu LIVE News Updates: The “very severe” cyclonic storm Vayu will not make landfall in Gujarat as it has moved towards the sea, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday morning. According to Skymet Weather, the cyclone which at present is Category 2 storm may weaken into a Category 1 storm. However, strong winds and rough seas are expected to continue and may cause damage. On Thursday, in a massive evacuation drive, around three lakh people were shifted to safer places as the cyclonic storm Vayu inched closer to the Gujarat coast. It was expected to make landfall between Dwarka and Veraval this afternoon. Schools and colleges will remain shut on June 12 and 13 across 10 districts as the Army, NDRF personnel, IAF helicopters and around 300 ma...

Airtel rolls out its lowest-ever first recharge prepaid plan

Airtel has introduced a new first recharge plan of Rs 76 for its new customers. NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Airtel has revamped its first recharge (FRC) prepaid plans for its new subscribers. The first recharge plans from Airtel starts at Rs 178 and goes up to Rs 559. The company has now removed the Rs 344 and Rs 559 plan and in place of them it has added a new FRC prepaid plan of Rs 76. The new prepaid plan of Rs 76 offers talktime of Rs 26 and it valid for the period of 28 days. Users will also get 100MB of data and they will be charged 60 paise per minute for local and STD calls. Apart from Rs 76 plan, the service provider also offers three more plans of Rs 178, Rs 229 and Rs 495 under the First Recharge plans. All the three plans offer unlimited local and national calling facility. Customers will also get 100 SMS per day as part of the plans. The only change between the three plans are the amount of data and the validity period. Under Rs 178 plan of Airtel, users w...