Rahul Gandhi says pro-builder NDA regime suppressing India's middle class

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of home buyers from the Delhi-NCR region at the AICC headquarters here on Saturday, and told them that the pro-builder NDA Government's new Real Estate Bill would be countered to end existing suppression of the Indian middle class.

"I have met 100-200 people today and I have learnt that not only farmers and Adivasis, (but also) the middle class people in India too are being supressed," Gandhi told media here.

Gandhi further said, " The (erstwhile) UPA bill had a clear transparency clause in which the buyers would get the same carpet area as mentioned in the documents. However the provisions in the current Bill have been diluted. The new Bill is not pro-buyer but it is a pro-builder."

The Congress vice president said irregularities on issues like "super area" and "delivery date" existed in the new Real Estate Bill.

"Someone told me that the builder had promised a 'great view' from the flat...the 'view' was only till the builder built a new tower," he added.

Facing a crunch of numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the Centre this week was forced to defer the Bill after the opposition insisted on it being referred to a select committee of Parliament.

The Bill is crucial for paving the way for construction of a large number of affordable houses. The BJP-led NDA government has promised houses for all by 2022.