Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wrecking the country’s economy with demonetisation and said his party’s NYAY will jumpstart it.
Gandhi accused Modi of using demonetisation as a ruse.
“Note ban destroyed the economy. Factories closed, unemployment rose. NYAY will give money in your hands. You will start buying once you get money and the economy will revive and unemployed youth will get employment and the economy will jumpstart. Lakhs of youth will get employment,” he said at an election rally in Mysuru.
Also read: ‘Money for NYAY will come from Modi’s friend’: Rahul Gandhi targets PM in Karnataka
He also promised that 22 lakh vacancies in government jobs will be filled up.
“We will fill them up in one year and ten lakhs youth will be employed in panchayats”.
He insisted that the Congress’ NYAY cash transfer proposal for the country’s poorest 20% population is an achievable target.
“I spoke to economists and the Congress think tank and asked how much money could be put in accounts of poor. Modi had lied. How much money can the govt put in the bank account of the 20% poor without damaging the economy? I told the think tank I want a number, not theories. I got the answer a few days back. The govt can put Rs 72000 in each account per year. The truth is 3.60 lakh rupees in five years in each account and not Rs 15 lakh.”
{{/usCountry}}“I spoke to economists and the Congress think tank and asked how much money could be put in accounts of poor. Modi had lied. How much money can the govt put in the bank account of the 20% poor without damaging the economy? I told the think tank I want a number, not theories. I got the answer a few days back. The govt can put Rs 72000 in each account per year. The truth is 3.60 lakh rupees in five years in each account and not Rs 15 lakh.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is the Congress’ surgical strike on poverty. If Modi can give money to the country’s richest, the Congress and JD(S) can give money to the country’s poorest.”
He also said the Congress party will change the goods and services tax (GST) after winning the election.
“We will change GST after winning the elections. There will be only one tax not different slabs,” he said at an election rally in Mysuru.
He lashed out at Modi for describing himself as a chowkidar.
‘There is no chowkidar in front of the houses of the poor, farmers, and the unemployed. Chowkidars are there only in front of house of someone like Anil Ambani. Modi has brought disrepute to all chowkidars in the country.’
The Congress chief accused Modi of lying about every promise in 2014 and said the current elections are a fight between truth and lies.
“It’s a fight between their lies, false promises, divisiveness and hatred and our truth, brotherhood and compassion.”
“Modi makes false promises in every election. He promised to put Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s account. He promised right prices to farmers and two crore jobs for the youth. Did anyone get the money? Were farmers’ problems addressed? Unemployment has been the highest in 45 years.”
Gandhi said the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka waived RS 11000 cr of farm loans which helped crores of farmers.