Modi has given 60% of India's wealth to 1% of the population: Rahul on note ban

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday once again attacked Narendra Modi over the government's demonetisation drive and said that note ban was not a move  against corruption or black money but against farmers and poor people. 

"PM Modi has not just dried up the money of the poor, he also took out their blood. We told Mr Modi that the poor, the farmers are crying everyday. I urged him to waive off the loans of the farmers. He did not reply. He did not speak a word. This is the truth of India, " said Rahul.

"Those who have black money don't have it in cash. It is either in foreign bank accounts, land and property, or gold. Only six per cent of the black money is in cash," said Rahul Gandhi during his rally in Jaunpur. He added that Modi has handed over 60 percent of the nation's wealth to just one percent of the population.

He said the Congress would have assisted any move of the government to weed out corruption and black money from India but "the decision on demonetisation was neither against corruption, nor against black money".

He said: "We want to root out corruption from India. If the government takes any decisions against corruption, we will support it 100 per cent."

The Congress leader said the November 8 announcement to spike nearly 86 per cent of the country's total currency in circulation "was against poor people of India".

"It is against 99 per cent people of India, against farmers and labourers. Without seeking their permission, Modi has taken blood out of their veins."

As Gandhi began his speech at the public rally, some people from among the crowd shouted slogans against Modi.

Gandhi asked them not to do that. "We have differences of opinion with Modi and the BJP. Do not use the word 'murdabad'... Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister. Political fight is there.

"That is for the RSS people to say, not for us."

The Congress leader had recently said that he has proof of personal corruption by the prime minister. He had said that he wanted to reveal the corruption proof against Modi in Parliament but was prevented by the ruling majority from speaking there. 

In another rally in Karnataka on Saturday, Rahul said "Demonetisation, which was meant to curb black money and root out corruption, is a (Narendra) Modi-made disaster, as over 100 people died standing in queues at banks for a few notes across the country."

"The Modi government came to power in the name of the poor but is sounding death knell to the hapless population to help about 50 super rich families. Who are these families holding most of the wealth in the country? You can see them touring foreign countries with Modi at the government cost. This is your prime minister whom you had reposed hopes of bettering your lives," he alleged.

Noting that Modi failed to realise that black money hoarders invest their ill-gotten wealth in real estate, gold and in foreign banks, Rahul said a mere six percent of unaccounted wealth was in cash while 94 percent was either deposited in Swiss banks or in real estate.

"Unfortunately, in the name of the poor, honest and tax-paying people, Modi is going after them and ignoring the remaining 94 percent," he said.