Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit back at Narendra Modi over the government’s demonetisation move on Thursday, hours after the Prime Minister ridiculed him over allegations of corruption.
In Varanasi, Modi said he was the happiest since the Congress leader “learnt” to speak as he unwittingly admitted the “failure” of his party’s reign.
Watch: PM Modi mocks Rahul Gandhi
Here is are the highlights of Gandhi’s address in Bahraich:
4:00pm: You can mock me if you want, but PM Modi, you have to answer if these facts of corruption are true? And this isn’t what I’m asking; these are question from India’s youth
3:58pm: You have hurt the earnings of the poor, of these women (indicating the audience). Then you said one could only deposit Rs 5,000, and explain deposits above that
{{/usCountry}}3:58pm: You have hurt the earnings of the poor, of these women (indicating the audience). Then you said one could only deposit Rs 5,000, and explain deposits above that
{{/usCountry}}3:56pm: We are not against cashless economy, but we do not want India to be cheated
3:55pm: Modi attempted to deflect attention by talking about terrorists
3:53pm: Modi has created a black market on top of the black market
3:50pm: By locking Rs 8 lakh crore of your money in the banks, he is helping the super rich with their loans
3:45pm: I was told Modi is a super event planner in the most spectacular ways. He thinks about everything.
3:42pm: In the past 2.5 years, PM Modi hasn’t done anything for the poor
3:42pm: How many black money holders have been put in jail by (PM Narendra) Modi? Not even one; instead he allowed (Lalit) Modi and (Vijay) Mallya to run away
3:40pm: How do people pay for things —with their debit or credit cards? No, they pay with cash.
3:39pm: Everyday our farmers are committing suicide... we went to the PM with these problems, but the PM did not say even one word
3:37pm: Modi has fire-bombed the poor. Those in ‘suit-boot’ weren’t the ones standing in line (outside the ATMs, banks)... it was the poor
3:31pm: How many black money holders have been put in jail by (PM Narendra) Modi? Not even one; instead he allowed (Lalit) Modi and (Vijay) Mallya to run away
3:30pm: Only 6% of black money in cash; the remaining is in real estate, foreign bank accounts and gold
3:26pm: All of black money isn’t in cash, and all cash isn’t black money: Rahul Gandhi
3:25pm: Black money isn’t with the 99% of people standing in line; it isn’t in cash. It is with the 1% of rich people
3:21pm: Did not see any suit-boot people standing in line outside ATMs: Rahul Gandhi
3:21pm: Demonetisation move wasn’t against corrupt, but against poor and weak of the country: Rahul Gandhi
3:20pm: PM Modi didn’t answer me, but made fun of my questions: Rahul Gandhi hits back