New Delhi:Congress termed as “shocking and shameful” Prime Minister Narender Modi’s call to Jan Dhan account holders to usurp the black money deposited in their accounts, saying he is encouraging criminals to prosper while honest Indians suffer.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “PM Narender Modi’s call today in a public rally to those misusing Jan Dhan accounts to usurp black money is shocking and shameful and is nothing short of Prime Minister encouraging criminals to prosper as honest Indians suffer”.
He said, “Prime Minister exhorts those misusing Jan Dhan accounts to usurp money. Honest account holders are penniless. criminals prosper, honest suffer under Modiji.” Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also took a dig at Modi saying, “A prisoner of his own image!”, after the Prime Minister said the corrupt are now calling his name all the time.
“Earlier people would say ‘money, money, money’, now they say ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’ all day”, the Prime Minister said at a public rally in Moradabad today.
“All those who are Jan Dhan account holders, you should not return the money that others have put in your accounts. If you promise to do so, I am working hard on to devise a formula to send all those who deposited their money illegally into your accounts to jail and to ensure the money goes to the poor households,” Modi said addressing the public rally.
Surjewala said prior to November 8 demonetization announcement, 76 per cent of 22.5 crore Jan Dhan accounts had less than Rs 5 but overnight in last 25 days, 75000 crore have been deposited in these accounts. “Truth is that 26 pc out of Jan Dhan accounts still have under Rs 5. Tragically instead of acting against those who are converting black money, Modiji is promoting illegal criminal activities. Bank accounts of 26 pc honest Jan Dhan account holders are empty.
“130 crore Indians are awaiting deposit of 15 lakh in their accounts. Modiji is shoddily covering up his abject failure to bring back 80 lakh crore of black money stashed abroad and sharing it with ordinary people by diversionary tactics of multiple ‘fair and lovely schemes’ to convert black money and and a series of ‘Jumlas’,” he said. The Congress leader said, he (Modi) needs to understand that “India can’t be run by ‘headlines management’ nor is governance an ‘event management’. “Time to deliver Modiji for patience of India is running out with everyday theatrics,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is working on a formula on how to send the corrupt to jail who deposited their money in Jan Dhan accounts of poor after demonetization and ensure this money goes to the poor households. Responding to criticism over long queues outside banks and ATMS since the note ban decision on November 8, he accused his rivals of trying to “spread disinformation and despair” and said “this will be the last queue for the people who have been standing in line for the last 70 years for their daily needs”.
“All those who are Jan Dhan account holders, you should not return the money that others have put in your accounts. If you promise to do so, I am working hard on to devise a formula to send all those who deposited their money illegally into your accounts to jail and to ensure the money goes to the poor households,” Modi said addressing a public rally here.
Jan Dhan accounts were opened under a special campaign for providing banking facilities to the poor launched by the Modi Government in August, 2014. He said the corrupt rich are not doing any favour, as they have looted this money from the poor in all these years.
“I salute the people of the country for standing for long hours in queues. “I want to ask those politicians who are crying over these long queues. “You kept the entire nation in queues for 70 years after independence, as one had to stand in lines for even sugar, kerosene and wheat in the past. This is the last queue to end all those queues,” he said to applause from the crowds.
The PM said only the honest can queue up outside the banks to deposit the money, while the corrupt are standing outside the houses of poor. Modi said he was being hounded by his rivals as “culprit” on the note ban issue and pledged that this fight against the corrupt and corruption shall not stop “come what may”.
“I am being hounded as if I have committed some crime by waging a battle against graft. But, what can my opponents do to me? I am a fakir (hermit)…jhola ley kar chaley jayenge (I will exit with my little belongings),” he said.
Modi was addressing BJP’s Parivartan Yatra to mobilise public support ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Tearing into the opposition, he said, “Some call me a culprit…. Is it a crime to fight corruption which is at the root cause of all ills prevailing in the country for the past 70 years?”
Without naming any party, Modi made a subtle reference to Congress when he said that the 1.25 crore people were his leaders and he had no high command.
“You are my leader…I have no high command,” he said. His attack against the opposition came in the backdrop of their protests inside and outside Parliament on noteban, where the Winter Session has so far been almost washed out with the uproar eclipsing the proceedings every day. Talking tough, Modi said corruption will not go on its own and has to be wiped out.