CHANDIGARH: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that Paytm stood for “Pay to Modi”. He termed demonetisation as a firebomb on the country’s cash economy and said the “anti-poor decision” has benefited only 50 top corporate families in the country.
Addressing a rally at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday marking the completion of four years of the Congress government in the hill state led by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Rahul said the “note ban is a step taken against the poor, farmers and the middle class Indians”.
Rahul said the colour of a banknote is decided by whether it is in the hands of the honest or the dishonest. “A note has no colour. There is an honest person on one side and a dishonest one on the other. If the note goes into the hands of the dishonest person like Mallya, it turns black as if under a spell of magic,” he said, referring to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya.
Donning a Himachali cap with dry followers atop, Rahul, in his forty-minute speech, said, “Modi did not touch real estate and gold markets, nor did he touch Swiss bank accounts where 90 per cent of the black money is parked. Merely 6 per cent of the black money is in cash. The Congress is not against a cashless system but it should not be imposed,’’ he added.
“Modi is saying that the situation after demonetisation would improve in 50 days but it will not improve for six to seven months,’’ he added. Rahul reiterated that Modi should answer his questions which he had asked on the Sahara raids. “Instead of answering my questions Modi is making fun of me. Let him make fun of me as much as he wants, but at least he should answer my questions,’’ he said.
“I want to ask the prime minister why he didn’t table the Swiss bank’s list given to him earlier.’’ He said the currency ban has hit the hill state’s horticulture, agriculture and tourism sectors adversely. “Modi ji, you have removed the ‘HAT’ – Horticulture, Agriculture and Tourism,” said Rahul.