Panaji: Mounting a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the demonetisation drive launched by him was “firebombing of 99% honest people” and not a “surgical strike”.
The Congress vice president, however, did not speak about “personal corruption of the PM” he had threatened to reveal recently.
The attack came within hours of Modi accusing the Congress of putting self-interest above the country and sought to paint it as a votary of corruption at a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting in Delhi.
“Narendra Modi got up on November 8 and announced that the money which is in your pocket has now turned into mere paper. This not a surgical strike on black money but it is firebombing of the 99% of honest people of India,” Rahul said addressing a rally at Fatorda.
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Rahul said demonetisation was akin to 200-300 aircraft “firebombing” cities during the world war II, destroying them completely within 25 minutes.
“The impact of firebombing was far worse than the atom bomb. Narendra Modi has done similar firebombing through demonetisation and burnt entire India,” he said.
He said, “As Modi did not allow me to speak in Parliament, I am speaking at this public meeting.”
The Congress leader claimed the Prime Minister did not take into confidence even the Finance Minister while going for demonetisation of high-value currency notes.
“Demonetisation is not an action against black money, but against 99% of the honest people of India. This is an attack against poor people of India,” he said.
Accusing Modi of “dividing” India into two parts, Rahul said, “1% (is of) super rich and the other 99 % honest Indians including common people, workers, farmers, small-time businessmen and the middle class. In the last two-and-a-half years, 1% super-rich have amassed 60% of the wealth.”
He said total 50 Indian families have the maximum wealth of the country.
“These are the people who travel with PM to Australia, America and China to strike big business deals,” he said, adding people know who he was referring to.
Rahul said as the Congress wanted to eradicate corruption from the country, the party will give “complete support to BJP if it takes even a small step to curb it.