Poverty increased in Modi's regime, we will eradicate it: Rahul

Moga (Punjab), [India], March 7 (ANI): Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that poverty has increased during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, while promising to eradicate poverty if Congress comes to power.
“In India, poverty increased, unemployment increased because of Modi. We will eradicate poverty,” Rahul Gandhi said addressing a rally in Moga, Punjab.
“Hatred is being spread in society. The Prime Minister and BJP are spreading hatred. Guru Nanak spent his entire life fighting against this. It is akin to attacking his thoughts,” he said while invoking Guru Nanak to attack BJP.
Calling it an ideological fight, Gandhi scion said, "This is a fight between the thoughts of Guru Nankji and RSS. Guru Nanak’s thoughts will prevail.”
He alleged that the Prime Minister made several false promises including giving two crore jobs per year to giving Rs 15 lakh to everyone. “Has any one of you got those 15 lakh rupees?” he asked.
He claimed that while Prime Minister waived off a loan of Rs 3.5 lakh crore of rich businessmen, he has not waived off a single rupee of the farmers.
Rahul repeated the jibe that Rafale was a scam. “Our Air Force pilots drop bombs in Pakistan. Prime Minister took Rs 30,000 crore from the pocket of Air Force and put it in his friend Anil Ambani’s pocket,” he alleged.
He further alleged that Prime Minister himself changed Rafale contract for his friend Anil Ambani. “Even French President (Hollande) has said it,” he claimed.
Rahul challenged the Prime Minister for a debate on Rafale issue. “Let PM debate with me for 15 minutes about it in presence of TV cameras and everything will become crystal clear,” he said.
The Congress president alleged that government implemented GST in haste that harmed small businessmen.
“GST was launched with great fanfare at midnight. They implemented it without any proper planning. Ask any shopkeeper in Ludhiana if he benefitted from it. They will say no,” he said.
He promised a ‘simple GST’ if Congress comes to power.
Rahul Gandhi also slammed Modi for demonetisation. “Dr Manmohan Singh said that demonetisation will bring down GDP by at least 2 per cent. They finished the entire informal sector. They said they were fighting against black money. Did you see Nirav Modi or Mehul Choksi in the line outside the banks? They converted their black money into white and Modi helped them with it,” he added.
He further alleged that Liquor baron Vijay Mallya fled from the country after holding talks with the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
He promised Minimum Basic Income Programme for the poor, if voted to power, while also criticising the Central Government for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
“Congress party is known for doing historic works, whether it is Green Revolution, White Revolution, Computer Revolution and MGNREGA, etc. PM has brought a plan under which an individual will get Rs 3.5 per day. Our Minimum Income Programme won’t be like that,” he promised.
Rahul Gandhi also praised Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh for ‘breaking the backbone’ of drug mafia while urging the Prime Minister to act against ‘big crocodiles’ who were actually running the operations. (ANI)