Modi govt favours crony capitalism, alleges Rahul

AHMEDABAD: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit the campaign trail once again on Monday with allegations that the Narendra Modi government lacks the will to listen to the people and that it favours crony capitalism.

Gandhi made the allegation while addressing a public meeting at Kheda, about 40 km south of Ahmedabad at the start of the second leg of Navsarjan Yatra in poll bound Gujarat. “Be it GST or demonetisation, Modiji implementedpolicieswithoutlistening to anyone,” he said. “Congress government will listen to farmers, labourers, women and small businessmen. They have not been heard in past 22 years of the BJP rule in Gujarat,” Gandhi added.

Later at Nadiad, he took pot shots at Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, suggesting that demonetisation only benefitted the BJP.

“Demonetisation finished so many small businesses. From its ashes came out a company...amit Shah’s son’s company...it’s genie of Modiji’s start up India, Make in India”, Gandhi said referring to a news story that said Shah’s son Jay’s company grew exponentially after 2014 and Shah’s elevation as BJP’S national president.

At Santrampur Temple campus, Gandhi asked a small trader present in the crowd, “Can your company make ₹80 crore from ₹50,000 in 3 to 4 months?” The crowd replied, “No”.

He further said, “I want to ask now, where is the guard. Modiji had said he wants to become guard for you, not PM.”

The Congress leader added, “Modiji had said ‘Na khaunga, na khane doonga’ (won’t take bribes, nor let anyone take). But where has that guard gone now?”

The Congress leader is scheduled to travel through five districts of central Gujarat covering 500 km in three days. In the first leg, Gandhi had travelled through Saurashtra region last week.

He started the day’s campaign as the Gujarat HC commuted capital punishment of 11 convicts in the Godhra train burning case to life sentences. Central Gujarat was worst affected in the 2002 post-godhra riots. Gandhi is scheduled to visit few temples in this region.

Rahul Gandhi’s latest trip comes on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Sunday to his hometown Vadnagar where he made a number promise and launched the “Intensified Mission Indradhanush” scheme which aims to accelerate the full immunization coverage and provide greater focus on urban areas and other pockets of low immunization coverage.