PM, Raman don’t work without seeking nod of industrialists: Rahul

NEW DELHI: Escalating his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Modi never does anything without seeking permission of his industrialist friends. Gandhi scion also took on the government over the Rafale deal and demonetisation while addressing a political rally in Chhattisgarh.

As only two days to go for the first phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly election, the political battle between the BJP and Congress intensified further on Friday and both PM Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took their turns to attack each other with their own set of allegations. “All of you were standing in long queues during demonetisation but not one black money holder was seen. Also, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away from the country with your money,” the Congress chief said. Retorting to Modi’s allegations of Congress “ruining the lives of poor Adivasi youth by supporting urban Maoists”, Gandhi also accused Modi and of making “false” and “unfulfilled” promises.

Speaking at a poll rally at Pakhanjore town in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, Gandhi said, “Bastar is rich in natural resources, but local people don’t have access to their benefits. The benefits are reaching a few industrialist friends of Modiji and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.” The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of indulging in crony capitalism from time to time, a charge which has been vehemently denied by the saffron party. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or the state government on Gandhi’s

latest allegations.

“In Delhi, Modiji has 10-15 industrialists friends and similarly Chhattisgarh CM has 10-15 big businessmen friends. Modiji and Singh never do any work until they take permission from these 10-15 friends,” he alleged. “During the Congress-led government at the Centre, it used to take Rs 35,000 crore to run the MNREGA in a year,” Gandhi said, adding that the project changed the lives of several people in the country.

“Modiji waived loans of 10-15 industrialists to the tune of Rs 3.50 lakh crore in the past four-and-a-half years. With this huge money, 10 MNREGAS could have been executed,” he said. “Modi ji snatched away the contract of Rafale fighter jets from the state-run HAL and gave it to Anil Ambani,” he said. The Congress has earlier also levelled these accusations, which has been rejected by the government as well as by the Ambani-led Reliance Group.

Meanwhile, while addressing a press conference Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that demonetisation was a “scam” to convert black money to white and asked the BJP to declare who is responsible for the “economic

loss” caused by the govt’s move.