Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claims of fighting against corruption, black money, and terrorism, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday made a targetted attack on Modi, accusing him of working in the interests of just one per cent population which included 50 top industrialists of the country who had 60 per cent of the people’s money.
“60 per cent of the country’s wealth is amassed by the rich. Most of the wealth is with only 50 families of the country. It is courtesy Modiji. I don’t want to name these families, as you know them... Members of these families travel with the Prime Minister on his plane when he goes to the US, China,” Rahul said while addressing a ‘Janakrosh Rally’ in Jaunpur.
The Congress V-P said 99 per cent of the people of the country are honest who sweat it out to earn their living but “the Prime Minister mocks at them in Parliament.”
“I know that Modi had no courage to take action against the wealthy as they were those who facilitate victory of Narendra Modi and are now using money to polish his image through the media and posters,” alleged Rahul. This was his first rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh after the Winter Session of Parliament which was washed out over demonetisation. last week, Rahul had threatened to “expose personal corruption of Modi” while claiming that he was not being allowed to speak in Parliament as it would lead to an “earthquake”.
Rahul further alleged that Modi had waived Rs 1,200 crore loan of Vijay Malya and Rs 1.10 lakh crore taken by 50 wealthy families, but did not care about writing off farmers’ loans. The Congress leader, who had undertaken a “Deoria to Delhi” padayatra to highlight the plight of farmers, said he had met the Prime Minister to seek waiver of farmers’ loans but the latter was non-committal. The purpose of note ban was “Garib ka khincho, amir ko sincho (extract from the poor and help the rich),” he said.
Rahul said people mistakenly say that Modi’s demonetisation move is correct but implementation was wrong as the PM made no planning. “I am confident that Modi had made a well planned demonetisation move. His 50 industrialists friends failed to return over Rs 8 lakh crore of loans which the banks termed it NPAs,” charged Rahul, while asking people to just wait for two to three months to see Modi exposed.
Calling note ban as a “fire Bombing” made during second world war to destroy cities, and not “surgical strike” against black money, corruption, fake currency and terrorism funding, Rahul claimed that with one stroke to help his industrialist fronts, Modi had ruined the future of 99 per cent of population which included farmers, labours, employees, middle class by terming their small earnings as black money. He cited an example of one lakshmi of Banglore, who sell flowers to earn his livelihood but now after demonetisation, she was forced to beg to make a living.
Insisting that “all cash is not black and all black money is not in cash”, the Congress leader said, “94 per cent black money is stashed away in foreign banks, real estate and investment in land deals and gold. But why is the PM running after only the rest 6 per centIJ”
Claiming that the Congress in not against cashless economy, Rahul said that it should be not forced as transfer of Rs 100 by the people will directly benefit Modi’s industrialists friends with 5 per cent commission.
Rahul jeered at demonetisation secrecy. “Rs How the BJP’s Bengal unit deposited entire cash just a few hours before the note ban, or how assets worth several lakh crores have been purchased in the name of BJP leaders before just before demonetizationIJ” Rahul asked.
Interestingly, at the rally, when some workers shouted slogans against Modi, Rahul asked them to desist from making personal attacks. “Our fight against Narendra Modi is political, please don’t raise ‘murdabad’ slogans against him. Such language is used by fascists and RSS, not the Congress,” he told them adding that their fight is with Modi and they will remove him from the PM’s post.