Bulandshahr: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, that the United States elected Donald Trump as President, but India had a “Trump” in the form of Narendra Modi two-and-a-half years ago.
Addressing an election rally at the Government Polytechnic Ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr yesterday, he also raked up the Prime Minister’s decision to ban 500-and 1,000-rupee notes, saying all sections of society suffered losses due to the Centre’s demonetisation move.
“The United States of America had recently elected Donald Trump in the seat, but India had a Trump in the form of (Narendra) Modi two-and-a-half years ago,” he said.
Claiming that farmers were unable to buy fertilisers, seeds for potato sowing due to demonetisation, he alleged that many people died in the long queues to get their currency notes exchanged “but the government at the Centre never bothered to make any ex-gratia payment to the persons who suffered.”
The Congress leader said that in order to encourage artisan and small manufacturers, items made from any particular town across India, the item should bear the name of that town. Elaborating on it, he said, ceramic items made by Khurja potteries should carry the mark ‘Made in Khurja’ instead of ‘Made in India’.
Later addressing a rally in Ramlila Ground at Raoli Road in Muradnagar town of Ghaziabad district, Rahul termed as “a joke with the emotions of poor public” Modi’s promise, during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, that every citizen would get Rs 15 lakh in his bank account as a part of his share from black money which is deposited in Swiss banks by politicians and businessmen.
On demonetisation, he said only the poor and middle class people were standing in queues outside the bank and ATMs, and the PM was saying that the step has been taken to eradicate corruption from the country.
“Not a single millionaire or any suited booted person were standing in queue outside the banks to deposit or withdraw money. Only farmers, labourers, poor and middle-class people were there with their hard-earned money,” he said, while campaigning for SP-Congress joint candidate Surendra Goel.
He alleged during his two-and-a-half year rule, the PM has waived the loan of Rs 1.10 lakh crore of 60 families.
“These 60 families owe Rs 6 lakh crore to banks. All these families possess 60 per cent money of the country and bearing the advertisement expenditure of Narendra Modi and made him prime minister.” he claimed and said ‘Gharibon ka paisa kheechon, aur amiron ko seenchon’ (Snatch the poor man’s money and giving it to the rich).
Rahul said PM must understand that only six per cent cash money is related to corruption. “Remaining 94 per cent black money is invested in real estate, lands, gold and deposited in Swiss banks. Why PM did not bring the black money back to India from Swiss banks?” he said.
Accusing Modi of not recovering loan from businessman and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who has a debt of Rs 1,200 crore and staying in London, he alleged PM never intended to recover even a single penny of loan from him.
“Why PM has not tabled the list (of black money holders) in Parliament which has been handed over by the government of Switzerland to India? Why he is not making it public?” he said.
The Congress leader said if SP-Congress government is formed in UP, the coalition will work for poor, unemployed youths and workers and provide them loans to establish their business and industries.
PTI