Hindustan Times (Patiala)

Rahul accuses Centre of playing divisive politics

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

MAHENDRAGA­RH: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no understand­ing of the economy and the world is mocking India due to his government’s divisive politics that pitted people against each other.

Addressing a rally in Mahenderga­rh in the place of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who opted out on account of ill-health, Gandhi said MNREGA, an employment guarantee scheme, was one of the prime drivers of the economic growth during the Congress-led United Progressiv­e Alliance rule.

Gandhi said he had met economists from the United States who shared their analysis of the economic growth between 2004 and 2014. “Their findings surprised me: they said that due to MNREGA the increased consumptio­n led to spending and then growth,” said Gandhi.

Demonetisa­tion and ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ (GST) have destroyed small and medium enterprise­s, he said. PM Modi took away spending power of the poor through demonetisa­tion. “There’s only one way out of this economic downturn. Send money to the hands of the poorest. Narendra Modi does not understand economics,” said Gandhi.

“The world is mocking India. The country which used to show the way to the world, used to live with love, used to progress fast...Today one caste is fighting the other, one religion is fighting the other and the country’s pride, its economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has destroyed it,” Gandhi said.

The world is mocking India. Today one caste is fighting the other and the country’s pride, its economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has destroyed it. RAHUL GANDHI, Cong leader

RAHUL’S CHOPPER FORCED TO EMERGENCY LANDING IN REWARI

A helicopter carrying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Rewari in Haryana after it failed to touch ground in Delhi due to bad weather on Friday.

He was returning to Delhi from Mahendraga­rh in Haryana where he addressed an election rally in place of his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is down with a viral infection. Later, he left for Delhi by road. When contacted, Rewari deputy commission­er Yashendra Singh said that Rahul spent about 20 minutes at the college ground before proceeding to Delhi.

“There was an emergency landing .... The helicopter landed safely at Rewari,” Singh said.

In response to speculatio­n, sources close to Gandhi said his helicopter was forced to abort its landing in Delhi due to bad weather and not due to a technical snag.

During his short halt in Rewari, Rahul took the opportunit­y to play cricket with some children who were practising when he landed there, an aide of former Haryana minister Ajay Singh Yadav said. The children were seen clicking selfie with Rahul. This was Rahul’s second poll rally in the state that goes to polls on October 21.

Earlier he had addressed a public meeting in Nuh in Mewat region of the state.

 ?? PTI ?? ■ Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gestures as he speaks during an election rally ahead of assembly polls, in Mahendraga­rh district of Haryana on Friday.
PTI ■ Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gestures as he speaks during an election rally ahead of assembly polls, in Mahendraga­rh district of Haryana on Friday.

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