Modi waiver of Tata dues more than farmer loan sop: RaGa

RAHUL SPEAKS Motivates party workers with speech in Congress stronghold of Nanded; says BJP must focus on farmers, not industrialists

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi enthused party workers at Nanded on Friday, saying with confidence that Bharatiya Janata Party could win one or two more elections, but the Congress would retain power again. Gandhi also compared the amount of farmers’ loan waiver with the hefty concession of Rs 65,000 crore given to Ratan Tata by Narendra Modi while he was chief minister of Gujarat.

Gandhi was on a one-day visit to Nanded and Parbhani in Marathwada. In a public rally at New Mondha Ground in Nanded, Gandhi while speaking on the failure of demonetisation, emotionally appealed to women to speak up on whether they got benefits or lost their freedom of savings. He claimed the demonetisation move was to facilitate 'chors' (black money hoarders) to change their black money into white.

During his 20.25-minutes speech, Gandhi said, “First Modi grabbed rights of savings and cancelled currency of Rs 500 by the name of black money. Then he brought Goods and Services Tax (GST) with five different slabs of taxes”.

He said if there is one nation one tax then why are there five slabs. “There must be one nation one GST,” Gandhi thundered.

Recalling that the Congress had brought in the Land Acquisition Act to ensure rights of the farmers, Gandhi said that in the last three years, farmers have been exploited in a big way.

“For any farmer, support of Central and state government is essential. Farmers are asking for a market price for their produce, but they are being exploited. More than 9,000 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra. Almost the same number of farmers have committed suicide in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and in other states. No state remained untouched by farmers’ suicides,” Gandhi said.

“Though the Maharashtra government has announced loan waiver of Rs35,000 crore, the actual amount would not exceed Rs5,000 crore,” Gandhi claimed.

“The Modi government has forced farmers and people to stand in queue for every reason but has given nothing in return,” added Gandhi, saying, “Modi being CM of Gujarat gave concession of Rs 65,000 crore to a single man (industrialist) Ratan Tata for his Nano (car) project. However, we cannot see these cars on the road.”

“This government helps industrialists but not farmers. We need industrialists, but we also need farmers. Both should be given equal justice,” Gandhi declared.

Gandhi also exposed how Modi failed to give jobs to two crore unemployed youth. He said that Congress is the force which connects the people and nation whereas Bharatiya Janata party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are breaking the nation.

“We have lost the lives of 17,000 youth party workers in Punjab, what has RSS lost?” Gandhi questioned.