Embarking on his third phase of three day yatra in poll-bound Gujarat, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday tore into the NDA government and said the government may be celebrating the “ease of doing business” ranking but the reality is it has destroyed the economy and businesses with demonetization and GST.
“The entire country will shout and say ease of doing business is absent, you have destroyed it, your demonetisation and GST have ruined it,” Gandhi said, addressing massive crowds in South Gujarat as his yatra moved through Bharuch district.
“Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Ji said some foreign institution has certified that India’s ranking in Ease of Doing Business has improved. I want to ask whether Mr Jaitley lives in real or dream world,” Mr Gandhi said, taking pot-shots at Union Finance Minister, who on Monday shared the World Bank’s latest report in which India’s ranking for Ease of Doing Business has jumped 30 places to figure in top 100 places.
“India does not need certificate from any foreign organisation. Hindustan needs certificate from its people and they are saying Narendra Modi and Arun jaitley have failed,” he said, as surging crowds cheer him in meeting after meeting in South Gujarat belt.
For a reality check, according to him, the Finance Minister should meet a small trader or small and medium sized businessmen for 10 minutes and ask what the situation on the ground is.
Through the day, Mr Gandhi, addressing public meetings and holding road shows in small towns and villages, slated his speeches with references of adverse impact of demonetization and GST and how the government’s focus on a few big industrial groups is leaving the small and medium enterprises and businesses in lurch.
“If the Congress party comes to power in Gujarat, we will give priority to SMEs, farmers, students and poor people instead of catering to the interests of a few businessmen as the BJP government is doing here,” he said in Jambusar, a coastal town in Bharuch.
Targeting the Modi administration’s claim to fight black money, Mr Gandhi said that in its three year tenure, not a single Swiss bank account holder has been touched by this government.
“They (BJP) talked a lot about Swiss bank accounts. Now they are in power for the last three years. You tell me how many Swiss bank account holders are in jail? Give me the name of one person Modiji has sent to jail?” he asked.
On Gujarat, Mr Gandhi said that every major community in the state is agitating against the BJP government because the government has failed to create new jobs, provide education at affordable price.
“Not a single community in Gujarat is happy. Be it Alpesh, Hardik or Jignesh, all sections of the society are angry. The only ones not complaining are 5-10 top influential industrialists... They are the only ones who are supporting Modiji and BJP,” he said, reiterating his charge that the BJP government caters to the interests of only a few top corporates.
Hr promised that if voted to power, the Congress government will waive off farm debt, provide unemployment allowance to those who are jobless in the state.
