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Congress left no chance to loot country, says PM
PM Modi accused Congress of exploiting citizens, claiming BJP's policies ensure savings and income growth, while inaugurating projects worth ₹50,000 crore in Odisha.
: The Congress had left no opportunity to loot the people of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government through its polices and the recent GST rate rationalisation has ensured the “double ‘bachat’ (saving) and double ‘kamai’ (income)” for people.
Addressing the ‘Namo Yuva Samabesh’ in Odisha’s Jharsuguda, where he inaugurated multiple projects worth over ₹50,000 crore , Modi accused the Congress of blocking the country’s progress.
“The Congress left no opportunity to loot people. When we got the opportunity to serve, our administration successfully liberated the country from the exploitation of the previous government. Now, a new era of double ‘bachat’ and double ‘kamai’ has begun. Earlier, people had to pay tax even on income up to ₹2 lakh. Today, people earning up to ₹12 lakh annually are exempted from tax,” Modi said, alleging that the Opposition party had even taxed people belonging to the low-income category when it was in power.
“Wherever Congress governs, it snatches away benefits meant for the people. When we reduce petrol and diesel prices, they impose fresh taxes. When we bring down GST on cement, they add their own levies. Congress governments are only interested in filling their own coffers,” he said, describing the Congress as an “anti-development, anti-poor, anti-tribal” party.
The GST reforms will ensure that people can save more, he said.
”The reforms in the GST have created a situation where people can save a lot. Instead of paying tax of ₹25,000 on spending of ₹1 lakh, now their tax ratio will come down to ₹5,000, thus saving around ₹20,000,” Modi said.
The rationalised GST structure of 5% and 18% came into effect on September 22. Modi also alleged that the Congress governments in the states become a “stumbling block” between the people and the Centre’s development initiative.
“Till 2014, the Congress was looting the country. Our government has made income tax free up to ₹12 lakh. Despite GST rates being reduced, the Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh government continued to loot the people... When we reduced the GST rates, prices came down across the country, but the Congress does not want to give this relief to the common people. The Himachal Pradesh government imposed a new tax of its own on cement. While the entire nation is benefiting from the recent GST Bachat Utsav, the people of Himachal Pradesh are being deprived of it,” he alleged, cautioning the people against the alleged loot by the Congress and its allies.
Modi hailed the BJP government in Odisha for undertaking a slew of development initiatives. “When a poor family gets a pucca house, not only the present, but also the lives of future generations become easier. Our government has provided pucca houses to more than 4 crore (40 million) poor families across the country. In Odisha, too, the work of constructing thousands of houses is underway. Today, house building orders have been given to nearly 50,000 families,” he said.
