Modi waived loans of select industrialists: Rahul

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of waiving loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of 15 select industrialists and hit out at Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh over the issue of corruption.

On the second day of his campaigning in the state, where the first phase of polling would be held Monday, Gandhi targeted the Raman Singh government over the alleged chit fund scam, civil supplies scam and the chief minister's son Abhishek Singh, who is accused of holding offshore assets.

"In the last four-five years, Modiji gave Rs 3.5 lakh crore to the 15 richest people. While an amount of Rs 35,000 crore is needed yearly to run the MGNREGA scheme in the country, he waived loans worth 10 times that amount of 15 select industrialists," he alleged.

Gandhi said he wanted Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to become agriculture centres in five years and provide food, fruits and vegetables to the country.

"Modiji has given the keys to the treasury to 15 select people, but the Congress wants the keys to be given to farmers, youth, poor, women and tribals. Modiji trusts 15 people, but we trust crores of Indians," he said.

Accusing Singh of indulging in corruption, Gandhi claimed that Rs 5,000 crore had vanished in the chit fund scam.

"Sixty people died, 310 FIRs were registered, but nobody went to jail because the chief minster did not want action to be taken," he alleged.

The Congress chief further charged that Rs 36,000 crore were stolen in the alleged Public Distribution System (PDS) scam and claimed that there were documents to prove Singh's involvement in it.

"There was a diary found in which it was written that money was given to Doctor Sahab. Who is this Doctor Sahab?