Rahul Gandhi snubs BJP, says demonetisation is all about 'gareebon se paisa kheechon, ameeron ko paisa seechon'

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, on 16 December, said "demonetisation drama" is not a fight against corruption and black money rather "it is an attack on honest and poor people" who have worked hard to earn their money.

Taking a barb at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been claiming that the demonetisation drive as a surgical strike on black money and corruption, the Congress vice-president said the government's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes turned out to be a "firebomb" thereby affecting the poor people.

"Narendra Modi launched a new marketing scheme, saying that it was a surgical strike on corruption and black money. But this was not a surgical strike, it was a firebombing on poor people," he said while addressing a rally in Goa's Margao district.

He said in the last two and a half years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, 1% of the rich have acquired 60% of the country's wealth and the poor have been left in a lurch.

"All cash is not black money and all black money is not cash. Demonetisation has only targeted the poor and the cash economy of our country," he said.

"In Modiji's cashless economy, 5-6% of cash will magically disappear from every transaction and the 1% super-rich will get it," he added.

He said in the last two and half years, Prime Minister Modi's waived off Rs 1,10,000 crore loans of the rich people and post demonetisation the Prime Minster waived off liquor baron Vijay Mallya's loan worth Rs 1,200 crore.

He said the Congress Party is ready to support if the government is serious in eradicating corruption in the country.

"The Congress wants to eradicate corruption from country. If the NDA government wants to take a step against it, the party will give its 100% support," he said.

Rahul Gandhi's statements came on a day when he met Prime Minster Modi, earlier today, to ask him to waive off farmer's loan, who have been severely affected by demonetisation.

--ANI