Rahul trying to weaken fight against black money: BJP

Party slams graft charges against PM, backs Rs 3,600 cr Shivaji memorial for debt-ridden Maharashtra

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for levelling allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP today said the Congress Vice President is engaging in "baseless and uncalled for rhetoric" only to weaken the fight against black money.

"The nation today is going ahead in its fight against black money due to the initiatives taken by PM Modi. He has already made India Congress-mukt (free of Congress) and now wants to make the nation corruption free as well," BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain said.

The senior leader was talking to reporters here after inaugurating a 'chowk' in the name of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi in suburban Bandra.

"He (Gandhi) is engaging in baseless, uncalled for rhetoric on allegations only to weaken the fight against black money and corruption. But he will not succeed in doing so," he said.

Responding to a query on Maharashtra government splurging around Rs 3,600 crore on a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji at a time when the state is reeling under severe debt, Hussain said that for a towering figure like the Maratha warrior, who is revered across the nation, politics should not be played on the money being spent on the memorial.

"Our government has only fulfilled the long standing wish of the people. The whole nation is proud of Shivaji Maharaj and he is loved across the world. There are various benefits of constructing the memorial like increase of tourism, etc" Hussain said.

He further said that the construction of a memorial is an achievement for the whole nation.

Escalating his attack on Modi over note ban in the last couple of days, Rahul had said that demonetisation was not a surgical strike on corruption and black money as projected by the prime minister and his ministers but was an "economic robbery" and "firebombing on India's poor".

The Congress Vice President says the Prime Minister has put "99 per cent people" in the country to hardships and not targeted the "1 per cent super rich" who "held all the black money".

According to him, five per cent ofevery online transactions in a cashless economy willgo to "those 50 families".

He has also been reiterating his charge of "crores of rupees" allegedly being paid to Modi by business houses on different occasions when he was Gujarat Chief Minister and has sought the PM's reply to the charges.