Digboi (Assam): Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about bringing back black money from overseas, then why liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi are still abroad, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked on Thursday.
Addressing an election meeting in Digboi, Gandhi said, "Modi talked about bringing back black money from abroad and putting Rs 15 lakh in each Indian's bank account. I ask why Mallya and Lalit Modi are still abroad then."
"(In one hand) Modi talks about bringing back black money and on the other hand Mallya flees the country. Two-three days before his departure, Mallya and (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley had talked in the Parliament House. I ask what discussion took place between them," Gandhi said.
He said the BJP government has launched "kala dhanko safed karlo" (convert your black money into white) scheme while Modi talks about fighting black money, the Congress leader said and demanded that BJP speak the truth.
Rahul Gandhi. PTI
He was referring to the new amnesty scheme announced in the Union Budget for black money holders to come clean.
"Modi will lecture in Assam but will say nothing about Mallya, Lalit Modi or the 'fair and lovely scheme'. They (BJP) think they can go on lying and people will go on listening to them," he said.
Referring to the black money amnesty scheme, he said, "I have named it 'fair and lovely scheme' because any gangster, militant, criminal in India can convert their black money into white money by just going to the government and paying minimum tax on it."
Continuing his attack on Modi, the Congress Vice President claimed, "When Modi comes here he talks of development, but can there be development when an Indian is made to fight another Indian? On the other hand, we Congress live with love with one another. This is the difference."
"BJP-AGP leaders will bring back what was there is the state 15 years ago. There had only been sad news, violence, people dying till Congress came and restored peace," he said.
There was no talk of progress or development in Assam during the AGP rule 15 years ago but only about violence, bomb blasts and children being killed, Gandhi claimed at another election rally in Moran.
"Business people here told me they are afraid that Assam will go back to those days when people were scared to step out of homes. There were kidnappings, ransom demands, extortions and families were worried about their members' return when they are out," Gandhi said.
"Congress came and brought peace back to Assam. It was no easy job. It took time to change the situation. Without peace and brotherhood there can be no development," he said.
Speaking about the work done by Congress in the state, Gandhi said, "Because of peace in Assam, 15 engineering colleges came up, four lakh youths got employment, its earnings increased from Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 24,000 crore, roads were extended from 6,000 km to 24,000 km, three medical colleges were set up making available three times more doctors to the state."
"BJP creates violence in whichever state it forms government," he claimed.
BJP and RSS want to impose only one ideology across all states ignoring India's plurality, he said.
"We in Congress respect the people of Assam, their culture, ideologies, religions, ethnicity, languages, history. But they (BJP-RSS) want to thrust only one ideology here... We believe there is a place for everyone to live here peacefully in brotherhood with each other," Gandhi said.
Hitting the campaign trail in Tezpur, the Congress Vice President said that in recognition of Assam's problems, including flooding, the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government had given thousands of crores of rupees and accorded the state Special Category Status.
"But when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he removed the special status to Assam. He speaks about his 'maan ki baat' but never listens to the people's 'maan ki baat'.
"You are the Prime Minister of India, fulfil your poll promises and then come back to the people," Gandhi said.
Continuing his tirade against Modi, Gandhi said "because he lies and fails to keep his poll promises the people of Bihar gave him a be-fitting reply telling him to do his work as prime minister in Delhi, fulfil his poll promises and then talk to them. This is to happen in Assam too".
If Congress is re-elected in Assam, the Congress leader said, scholarship will be provided to downtrodden children in each district, an agricultural bank will be set up for farmers, rice will be given at Rs 2 to the poor, free medical treatment will be provided to those earning below Rs 2.5 lakh annually and pucca houses will be built for tea garden workers.
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