The decision on demonetisation was neither against corruption, nor against black money , says Congress Vice President
Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 19 (IANS): Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has fire-bombed the poor and taken the blood out of the veins of 99 per cent of Indians with its demonetisation decision.
At a rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi stopped people from hurling invectives against Modi, saying he is the Prime Minister and "we must not say 'murdabad' for anyone".
He said the Congress would have helped in any move of the government to weed out corruption and black money from India, but "the decision on demonetisation was neither against corruption, nor against black money".
"During World War II, there was a new technique of bombing people -- fire bombs were dropped on a city by 200 planes, and city would be burnt to ashes. Modi has fire-bombed the poor of the country," said Gandhi.
He said: "We want to root out corruption from India. If the government takes any decisions against corruption, we will fully support it."
The Congress leader said the November 8 announcement to spike nearly 86 per cent of the country's total currency in circulation "was against the poor and the farmers of India".
"It is against 99 per cent people of India, against farmers and labourers. Without seeking their permission, Modi has taken blood out of their veins."
As Gandhi began his speech at the public rally, some people from among the crowd shouted slogans against Modi.
Gandhi asked them not to do that. "We have differences of opinion with Modi and the BJP. Do not use the word 'murdabad'... Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister. Political fight is there.
"That is for the RSS people to say, not for us."
"Modiji, you have destroyed the brass industry of Moradabad, leather industry of Kanpur, and carpet industry of Mirzapur," he added.
Further hitting out at Modi, Gandhi said: "The farmer doesn't use cheque, Paytm and credit card to buy seeds, he uses cash. You have ruined his life."
Gandhi also said that Modi has given a toffee worth Rs 1,200 crore to liquor baron Vijay Mallya (referring to the write-off).
He went on to say that the aim behind fire-bombing the poor was to waive off Rs 8 lakh crore loans of the rich.
"About 50 families in our country took Rs 8 lakh crore loan. Modiji will use your money to waive off the loans of at least 50 families. Members of these families accompany Modiji to the US and China," he said.
"People said demonetisation was a good idea, but there was no planning. But I feel the planning was fantastic. His intention was to use the money of 99 per cent Indians to waive off loans of the rich," Gandhi said.
"Modiji said notes were banned to stop terrorism. But couple of days later, new 2,000-rupee notes were found on the gunned-down terrorists," he added.
From 'chai-wala' to 'Paytm-wala' now: Mamata
Dubbing the Narendra Modi government 'deaf and dumb', West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday targeted the Prime Minister, saying the one-time 'chai-wala' has now become a 'Paytm-wala'.
"The Prime Minister used to call himself a 'chai-wala' (tea seller) before. Now he has become a millionaire 'Paytm-wala' (one who endorses e-wallets like Paytm)," Banerjee said addressing a public meeting in West Bengal's Bankura district.
"It is not for him to dictate where the common people would keep their hard-earned money," Banerjee said attacking Modi and the central government over demonetisation, "which has plunged the nation into a big crisis".
"Our nation is now governed by a deaf and dumb government that does not empathise with the common people's sufferings. They are pushing the entire nation towards a crisis through their 'forced governance'," she said.
The Trinamool supremo also accused the Prime Minister of not understanding the real situation in the country and blatantly promoting some private companies.
"The entire nation is troubled since the decision was made, but the Prime Minister is not able to comprehend the real situation.
"If demonetisation is beneficial for the common man, then why are the shopkeepers, farmers and labourers suffering so much," Banerjee asked the crowd present at the meeting.
"The government won't be allowed to suck the poor's blood and take commission from the corporates " she added.
Banerjee has been in the forefront of protests against the Narendra Modi government over the demonetisation issue.
She has already toured states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, besides the national capital Delhi, in her efforts to rally support of all opposition parties.
Modi targets opposition
Kanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the opposition parties for stalling Parliament and accused them of running away from a debate on demonetisation to "safeguard the corrupt".
Addressing his sixth Parivartan rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, he said the government was using technology to track black money hoarders and and invoked late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to attack the Congress for opposing demonetisation.
"They didn't allow Parliament to function as they were not ready to debate demonetisation," said Modi, days after almost the entire Winter Session of Parliament was virtually washed out with opposition protests over his presence during the debate on the government's November 8 decision of scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to curb black money, corruption and terror funding.
"Even after the President (Pranab Mukherjee) urged them not to disrupt Parliament, they did not relent and continued disruption only because they were afraid of confronting the government. They did so to avoid debate over demonetisation," he claimed.
Accusing the opposition of dishonoring parliament, he claimed that the country was divided into two halves -- one of those who are "warring against corruption and black money" and the other of a "handful who are shielding the corrupt".
Continuing to target the Congress, Modi accused it of "ruining the country" for the sake of its political interest.
"They are accusing us but I want to remind the Congress about its past, want to remind about Sitaram Kesri.
"When Kesri was the (Congress) treasurer, people used to say 'na khata na bahi, jo Kesri kahe wohi sahi (no books, no accounts, whatever Kesri says is the accounts)'," he said referring to Kesri's stint as the Congress treasurer during the 1980s.
Encouraging people to go for cashless transactions, Modi ridiculed the Congress for its opposition.
"On the one hand, the Congress says the poor don't have bank accounts and, on the other, it says the poor are not getting money despite queuing up in banks. Let them first decide if the poor have bank accounts. .
He accused UP's ruling Samajwadi Party and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party of shielding and encouraging criminals and called upon the people to bring the Bharataiya Janata Party to power in the state.
Modi also reiterated that hardships due to demonetisation will start easing after 50 days of the implementation of the currency spike move.
"I know about all the hardships that you have been facing. Despite the opposition's provocations and misleading you, you have chosen to stand by this decision for the sake of the country... for the sake of honesty. Let me assure you, your hardships will not go in vain, we will win this war against corruption and black money," he asserted.
