PM Modi snatching money from poor to waive off loans of rich: Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes saying that the move was aimed to waive off loans of rich people by taking money from the poor. 

“PM Modi can not bring back money taken as loans by one per cent rich people and hence he is using the money of poor to waive of this bad debt,” Rahul said at a rally in Gujarat’s Mehsana. 

“The purpose of demonetisation is to grab the money of poor to feed the rich,” he added.

Vowing support to the government if it takes any big or small step to eradicate corruption, the Congress leader said the demonetisation move wasn’t made against corruption or black money but it was against the honest poor people.

“When a farmer or middle class people take loans from banks and are unable to pay they are put behind bars but when the same is done by rich, they are not called 'chor' but are called defaulters,” he said in his second public rally in three days. 

Repeating his earlier remarks that the move to scrap high denomination notes was not a surgical strike but firebombing against poor, Rahul said, “I don't know why the PM did not target the 94 per cent of black money but the other 6 per cent which is in cash. He did not target the 1 per cent corrupt but he targeted 99 per cent honest people of the country.”

Targeting the Gujarat’s BJP government for the violence during Patel reservation protests, the Congress VP said, “Patidars were protesting peacefully. They did not indulge in violence and you (government) beat up their women and children.”

Mehsana was at the centre of violence during protest by Patidar community earlier this year. Gujarat goes to polls in 2017.