In HP, Rahul takes on PM over DEMO, GST and unemployment ›
Demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to horticulture, agriculture and tourism, which are backbone of the HP economy...the hill state’s apple economy has suffered ₹2,000 crore loss due to the GST. RAHUL GANDHI, Congress vice-president
NAGROTA/CHAMBA/PAONTA SAHIB: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit the campaign trail in Himachal Pradesh on the penultimate day of canvassing on Monday and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation, goods and services tax (GST) and unemployment. Himachal goes to polls on November 9.
Addressing a rally at Paonta Sahib a day after Modi’s back to back rallies, Rahul said: “The hasty implementation of the GST has broken the backbone of small businesses and if the Congress returns to power, the much-needed changes will be made in the new tax regime”.
“Demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to horticulture, agriculture and tourism, which are backbone of the Himachal economy,” said Rahul, claiming that the hill state’s apple economy has suffered a loss of ₹2,000 crore due to the GST. He said the Congress had proposed GST’S maximum limit at 18% but the Modi government fixed it at 28%.
The Congress vice-president, who also addressed rallies in Chamba and Nagrota, said demonetisation has hit the common man and the party will observe November 8, the first anniversary of note ban, as a “black day”.
“The PM should tell the nation where the black money recovered during demonetisation was,” said Rahul, asking people to beware of the BJP as “false promises and steps like demonetisation and GST were the real face of the saffron party”.
Targeting Modi over unemployment, Rahul asked what happened to his promise of providing two-crore jobs. “China provides 50,000 jobs per day, while the Indian government just 450,” the Congress leader said. Referring to the Vyapam scam, he questioned the PM’S silence on corruption allegations against the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh and reported increase in the wealth of Jay Shah, the son of BJP president Amit Shah.
Taking on Modi over his allegations of corruption in Himachal, Rahul said as per a NITI Aayog report, corruption was lowest in the hill state and it was also adjudged the best in the country in education, health.
Comparing the data for Himachal and Gujarat, the home state of the PM, the Congress leader claimed that the hill state was ahead on all parameters be it health, education, employment or any other sector. “While the Himachal government gave 70,000 jobs in five years, the Gujarat government recruited only 10,000 youth. Himachal opened 1,500 schools, but Gujarat shut 13,000,” said Rahul.
“There are two categories of people — first those who just believe in the working, and second who don’t believe in working but are quick in claiming credit, he said, adding “Modiji is very quick in taking the credit but poor in working, while Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh followed the teachings of Bhagavad Gita: “Kam karo aur phal ki chinta mat karo” and worked relentlessly,” he said.