Rahul focusses attack on PM in LS over blackmoney, JNU, Vemula

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 02 2016 | 9:22 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi today singularly targeted Prime Minister Narendra as he led the opposition attack on government in Lok Sabha, saying a "fair and lovely" scheme had been brought to launder blackmoney and slammed it over JNU and Dalit student Rohith Vemula issue besides the Pakistan policy.
In acerbic remarks on Modi's style of functioning, the Congress Vice President, while participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, accused him of not listening to anyone's opinion including that of his ministers and MPs.
He also ridiculed Modi's ambitious 'Make in India' programme, saying the Prime Minister has "created a 'babbar sher' (Asiatic Lion)" in which "clock and wheels are seen moving" and questioned how many jobs have been created.
Hitting back, the ruling BJP said lessons on corruption should not be given by those who "looted" the country and reminded about scams like 2G and coal block allocation during the previous UPA tenure which had "tarnished" India's image among investors.
Pralhad Joshi, fielded by BJP, accused the UPA of misusing the power and compromising the national security by changing the affidavit in Ishrat Jahan case with a view to "torture Modi and Amit Shah."
He also mentioned the National Herald case involving top Congress leadership which currently is in courts.
Gandhi, while attacking BJP, said, "You have been taught by your teachers in the RSS that there is one truth in the universe--your own and nobody else's opinion matters."
Focussing his attack on Modi, he said, "The Prime Minister cannot run the country with his opinion alone. The country is not PM and PM is not the country."
Attacking the scheme on blackmoney announced in the budget on Monday, Gandhi said, "Nobody who has blackmoney will be jailed under Modi's 'Fair and Lovely' scheme. All those who have blackmoney can make it white under this scheme."
Recalling Modi's promise of putting people with blackmoney behind bars, the Congress leader said the government had instead come up with a way to help such people.
He was referring to the one-time four-month compliance window announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley under which people with domestic blackmoney can come clean by paying 45 per cent tax and penalty and get immunity from prosecution.
Gandhi was sharply critical of the government over the turmoil in Delhi's JNU and maintained that student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been charged with sedition, had not uttered a single word against the law but was behind bars while the "real culprits" were roaming free.
Questioning Modi's silence over the JNU episode, Gandhi said that he had not uttered a single word when teachers and the media were attacked in the Patiala House court complex in the capital when Kumar was brought there for a hearing. "Which religion teaches to assault teachers," he asked.
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First Published: Mar 02 2016 | 9:22 PM IST

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