New Delhi, Sep 6 (NIE): The Congress Wednesday called the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government’s decision to provide free smartphones with Internet connectivity to families covered under the National Food Security Act in Rajasthan as some kind of “collective bribery” and indicated it could knock on the doors of the Election Commission with a complaint or challenge the decision in a court of law.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi questioned the timing of the announcement and argued that the Raje government, staring at defeat in the coming Assembly elections, has indulged in “cheap, sensational politics purely for political purposes assuming that the voters (of Rajasthan) are illiterate, ignorant and foolish”. He said the Congress has several options before it, which include approaching the Election Commission. “Is it not a collective bribery of some kind,” he said, adding “it is a criminal offence”.

“But more importantly, we want to create awareness among the people. The biggest court is the people’s court. The biggest decision is to come from them… we have all these options open… what will happen you will get to know in the weeks to come,” he said.

Slamming the Raje government, he said, “For 56 months, your great intelligence did not think that distribution of mobile apps can be done. The timing is very important. They are doing it literally four to six weeks before the model code of conduct comes into effect. Is it not a clear attempt to circumvent the law…”

The Congress also stepped up its attack on the central government over the Rafale deal. Reacting to The Indian Express report that the government has turned down a Russian request to make the Adani Group its partner for the joint manufacture of Rs 3,000-crore worth of AK-103 assault rifles for the Army, the party has asked the government to come clean on whether it approves off-set partners for defence deals.