Escalating his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday trashed demonetisation of high value currency notes as a “Modi-made disaster” and charged that he had attacked the economic system of the country to benefit the one per cent “super rich.”
“For the first time in the history of India, the prime minister has attacked the poor people of this country. Usually the PM works for the country. They work for the economy, but Narendra Modi has attacked our economic system,” Gandhi alleged at a Congress rally in north Karnataka.
“As it is said a man-made disaster, in the same way demonetisation is Modi-made disaster,” the Congress vice-president said as he targeted the prime minister squarely blaming him for the hardships post-demonetisation.
More than 100 people had died, he claimed, adding, “Fidel Castro (Cuban revolutionary) was remembered in the Parliament and we stood in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect to him, but Bharatiya Janata Party leaders did not have two minutes time for these hundred people.”
“Who is responsible for their deaths? Narendra Modi is responsible... In the last two- and-a-half year Narendra Modi government has been attacking the poor,” he said.
Accusing the Modi government of trying to divide India, he said on the one side, there were one per cent super rich who have private aircraft, flashy vehicles and big businesses and on the other, there were 99 per cent of people who are honest like farmers, labourers, small traders and middle class who toil every day for the sake of the country and their lives.
“In the last two-and-a- half year, one per cent super rich in this country have amassed 70 per cent of India’s wealth and if you look deep into this one per cent, only 50 families have major portion of India’s wealth.”
“You know their names; these are the people who travel with Narendra Modi to America, Japan, and Australia,” Gandhi said.
“Congress wants to get rid of corruption from India and whatever step the BJP government takes whether it is big or small if it is against corruption we will give it full support,” he said.
Asserting that demonetisation was not against the rich but against the poor, middle class, farmers, labourers and small traders, Gandhi said “all black money is not cash, and all cash is not black money.”
“Who has black money, it is with those 50 families, and it is with one per cent super rich in this country,” he said.
“All the black money is not in cash, India’s thieves are clever, and as soon as they get money they invest it in land, real estate, gold or in foreign bank accounts like Swiss
bank.”
According to government figures, he said six per cent of black money is in cash, 94 per cent in real estate, big buildings and in foreign bank accounts.
Claiming that the Swiss government had given a list of Swiss bank account holders’ names to Indian government, he said the Congress had been asking the government to table the names of “these thieves” in the Parliament for the last two and half years. Why is it not being tabled? Why is Modi protecting them?”
“Why are Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya sitting in London? Why are they not in India? Why didn’t you get them back?
“Vijay Mallya is India’s thief. After demonetisation, why did you waive Rs 1200 crore loan of this man? Answer me why did you feed him a toffee of Rs 1200 crore?”
Gandhi said Modi knows that most part of black money is in Swiss bank, real estate and in huge buildings, “but I don’t know for what reason instead of going after 94 per cent black money, he is after the six per cent. Instead of going after one per cent super rich he is behind 99 per cent.”
“He is not after thieves, but behind poor farmers, labourers,” Gandhi said.
“Narendra Modi lies, he has lied to us. He had assured of fighting against black money, but he did not. The whole country is questioning him,” Gandhi said.
“When we asked him when he will act against corruption, he scripted a new drama. The super event manager scripted a new drama -- surgical strike on black money and corruption.”
“Modiji this was not a surgical strike on corruption, but fire bombing on India’s poor and farmers,” Gandhi said.
Claiming that 50 families and one per cent super rich in the country had taken Rs eight lakh crore from the banks, he said it is these people “who have made Modi, they have made him PM and sit on that that seat. It is from their money Modi fought elections and did his marketing.”
“Modi can’t get back eight lakh crore rupees money from them and banks are on the verge of closure and not in a position to give loan. So Modi thought of an option of running banks with the help of poor people’s money, that’s the reason he has made you to put your money in banks.”
Gandhi said Modi had assured that the situation will get to normal in 50 days, but “listen to me and take down in writing from that nothing will happen in 50 days.”
“Your money will get stuck in banks for another four to five months and you will see India’s economy stumbling. You will also see that in two to three months using these poor people’s money eight lakh crore loan of these 50 super rich family will be waived.”
Attacking Modi on cashless economy, Gandhi said it is a step to ensure that money in the form of commission goes to those 50 super rich families.
“Narendra Modi you cannot shy away, you will have to answer the country and Congress will ensure that you answer.”
Alleging that BJP had either deposited old notes into banks or invested in land ahead of demonetisation, he said in September Rs six lakh crore was deposited into banks, this quantum of deposit had never happened in the past.
“It was the money of Narendra Modi and BJP’s friends. We will tell this truth to people of the country.”
“We will ensure that this suit boot government for one per cent super rich is removed from Delhi,” Gandhi said.
Speaking about him along with Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders meeting Prime Minister on the farm loan waiver issue, Gandhi said Kharge while explaining the plight of Karnataka’s farmers and drought situation told Modi that the state’s chief minister wanted to meet him.
“Narendra Modi did not utter a word in response, he just saw and smiled and did not respond to Kharge. This is the truth.”
“Siddaramaiah is your elected chief minister, Modi didn’t have time for him, he didn’t have time for Karnataka’s voice, its farmers,” Gandhi said.
