Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day campaign tour of north Gujarat from Saturday, will be campaigning from Banaskantha to Patan on Sunday.
On the first leg of the campaign on Saturday, Gandhi tore into the Centre's decision to revise tax rates for the goods and services tax (GST), saying a structural reform is necessary in the policy.
Seeking to take credit for the Centre's decision to reduce the GST rates on a number of items, Gandhi on Saturday said he would not rest till the five-slab "Gabbar Singh Tax" was converted into the "Goods and Services Tax" with an 18-per cent cap.
The Gandhi scion, who launched his poll campaign tour of north Gujarat after offering prayers at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar on Saturday, again raked up the issue of a company of Jay Shah, the son of BJP president Amit Shah.
"We pressured (the Centre), the people of Gujarat, small shopkeepers put pressure and I am happy to say that Arun Jaitleyji has shifted many items to the 18-per cent slab from the 28 percent tax bracket under the GST," he told a public meeting in this north Gujarat town.
"With five slabs, it is the Gabbar Singh Tax, but with one tax, it is the GST. Neither Gujarat nor India needs the Gabbar Singh Tax. The Congress had clearly told the BJP that there should be one tax with an 18 percent cap and a simple tax," Gandhi added.
The 47-year-old Amethi MP said the "Gabbar Singh Tax" had caused damage to the small and medium scale businesses in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country.
"This Gabbar Singh Tax is looting the small people of this country. This Gabbar Singh Tax is only aimed at breaking the back of the small and medium scale industries of Gujarat and (the rest of) the country.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Saturday. Firstpost/Darshan Desai
"This GST has damaged Gujarat and India. Good that they (Centre) brought some changes in it on Friday. But, we will not stop at this. We will stop only when Gujarat and India get the GST and not the Gabbar Singh Tax," he added.
The Congress leader said the GST, a landmark tax reform which subsumed a host of central and state levies, needed structural changes.
"The GST cap should be at 18 per cent. If they (Centre) do not do it, we will put pressure on them, and if they still do not do it, we will do it soon after forming the government. The GST requires structural changes," he added.
On Friday, the tax rates on over 200 items, ranging from chewing gum to chocolates to beauty products, wigs and wristwatches, were cut by the GST Council to provide relief to consumers and businesses in the backdrop of an economic slowdown.
The Gandhi scion said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was silent about the company of Jay Shah, the turnover of which, as per a media report, rose from Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in a few months after the BJP came to power at the Centre.
"Modiji used to say he would be a chowkidar (watchman), but now people are asking whether he is a chowkidar or a bhagidar (collaborator)," he said.
A report in a news portal had alleged wrongdoings in the company owned by Jay Shah, a charge vehemently rejected by the latter and his father. Jay Shah has also filed a criminal defamation case against the news portal.
Gandhi claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, where polling took place on 9 November, had done a better work than the BJP regime in Gujarat, which goes to the polls in December.
"The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh opened four medical colleges, but in Gujarat, no (new) medical college has come up.
"The Himachal government did not close down a single school, but the Gujarat government shut down 13,000 government schools. Himachal gave 14 lakh houses to the poor (under a scheme), but in Gujarat, the number of houses given by the government was half of that. Gujarat also lags behind Himachal in education and generating jobs," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP workers showed black flags to the Congress vice-president in Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat.
The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases — on 9 and 14 December.
Published Date: Nov 12, 2017 12:20 pm | Updated Date: Nov 13, 2017 12:23 pm
Highlights
Rahul breaks security barricades to meet villagers in Harij village
Villagers met Rahul Gandhi's convoy in Harij village in Patan district, according to The Indian Express. The Congress vice-president broke security barricades to meet them.
Rahul Gandhi meets National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members
RECAP: Will criticise the Prime Minister, but won't disrespect him, says Rahul Gandhi
Speaking in Gujarat on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi had asserted that despite the political rivalry with the BJP, his party would never disrespect the Prime Minister, reported NDTV. "When Modi-ji was in the opposition, he used to speak with disrespect about the PM. That is the difference between us and them, no matter what Modi says about us, we'll not go beyond certain point as he is the Prime Minister."
Visuals from Rahul's interaction with leaders from SC Community in Patan
RSS is a 'manuwadi' organisation, says Rahul
My family also falls in general category, says Rahul. "RSS is a 'manuwadi' organisation. Many people in general category are not 'manuwadi'. We will work for the betterment of scheduled castes," he adds.
Crowds gather to listen to Rahul Gandhi
RECAP: Rahul Gandhi targets Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, says SEBI has termed him 'beimaan'
Rahul Gandhi targeted Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday over the SEBI slapping a fine on his firm for alleged manipulative share trade, and asked the Prime Minister to speak out on the issue.
Speaking during his poll campaign tour of Gujarat, he claimed that the share market regulator has termed Rupani "beimaan" (dishonest) and imposed a fine on him.
Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out against his "dishonest" chief minister.
"Gujarat is more corrupt than the entire country. Surat businessmen told me that policemen come to their units every two minutes (allegedly to demand bribe)," he said.
RECAP: BJP takes attack to Rahul Gandhi
With Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi pushing for rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said Congress leaders are "hypocrites" as they support the indirect tax at GST Council meets but speak against it in public.
Referring to Gandhi's promise to cap GST rates at 18 percent if voted to power, Javadekar said the Congress vice-president intends to increase the tax burden on the common people.
"I want to ask what kind of uniform tax structure he (Gandhi) wants? He is advocating for 18 percent GST on all items. It means that all those commodities that fall in zero percent, 5 percent or 12 percent slabs should be charged at 18 percent. It seems the Congress wants to increase the tax burden on people," Javadekar said at a press conference.
RECAP: Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat Day 2: 'Congress tsunami' is coming to the state, says party VP, tells cadre not to speak ill of PM
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted that his party will sweep the Gujarat state polls in December, as a "tsunami is coming and the (ruling) BJP is scared of it", and exhorted his party not to speak ill of the office of prime minister even while criticising the government.
He said the electoral battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress was a "battle of truth versus lies", but asked his party to exercise restraint even while criticising the government's policies and not get personal. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi may say anything about us, but we will not indulge in any loose talks about him and maintain the decorum of the office of prime minister."
Visuals from the second day of Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat tour
Rahul Gandhi 's temple visits not 'soft Hindutva', only a continuation of old family practice
Fighting an unequal war on a rival’s best-kept ground needs quite an effort and it often doesn’t work if that doesn’t come with conviction, though it may appear to be genuine. This exactly is the case with Congress scion Rahul Gandhi who on Saturday morning visited the famed Akshardham Temple Complex and signed out the day in the evening with prayers at the popular Ambaji Temple in north Gujarat.
Soft Hindutva is the clichéd charge that gets immediately hurled on any Congress leader who begins his tour to Narendra Modi’s Gujarat by visiting popular temples. If this is what Gandhi is trying to do, though he does not mention any of it in his interactions with the local populace, it does not work out. Simply because seekers of Hindutva will prefer the real thing, Modi, and nothing less.
Visual of Rahul Gandhi's Day 3 schedule in Gujarat
Updates for Day 3 (Monday) of Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat trip start here
Visuals from Danta in Banaskantha district, where Rahul Gandhi got down from the tour bus to meet the crowd that had gathered
Visuals from Rahul Gandhi's interaction with Congress volunteers on Sunday
Ashok Gehlot on Rahul Gandhi's interaction with Congress' social media volunteers on Sunday
'When Modi was in Opposition, he disrespected the PM'
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday that said that the Congress speaks the truth and the truth about Gujarat is, "Development has gone crazy here".
About Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "Whatever we do, spot Modi's faults or disturb BJP, we won't disrespect PM's position. When Modi Ji was in the Opposition, he used to speak with disrespect about the prime minister (Manmohan Singh). That is the difference between us and them: no matter what Modi says about us, we'll not go beyond a certain point as he is the prime minister."
'Tweets on political issues are mine'
On Sunday, during an interaction with social media and IT volunteers in Banaskantha, Rahul Gandhi said that there is a team of three to four persons who reflect on ideas and suggestions given by him before tweeting out of official Twitter profiles.
"We reflect on ideas, there is a team of 3-4 people, to whom I give suggestions and after fine tuning them we tweet. Routine work, like birthday wishes isn't done by me, I give little inputs on it, tweets on political issues are mine."
Rahul Gandhi explains how the Congress handles social media
Visuals from Gandhi's interaction with social media volunteers at Banaskantha on Sunday morning
Following is the expected schedule for Sunday's leg of Rahul Gandhi's Navsarjan Yatra:
· 10 am : Interaction with social media and IT Volunteers at Ambaji International Hotel, Ambaji, Banaskantha district
· 11:15 am : Swagat at Danta, Banaskantha
· 12 pm : Public meeting at Rampur Cross Road, Palanpur
· 1 pm : Swagat at Mota, Banaskantha
· 1:30 pm : Corner meeting at Hawai Pillar Ground, Deesa, Banaskantha district
· 2:30 pm : Swagat by Bhildi, Banaskantha district
· 3:30 pm : Visit to Wadinath Temple, Thara
· 3:45 pm : Corner meeting at OP Plaza Ground, Thara
· 4:45 pm : Visit to Sada Ram Bapu Ashram at Totana, Banaskantha district
· 5:15 pm : Swagat at Roda, Patan district
· 6 pm : Swagat at Kansada Darwaja, Patan
· 6:15 pm : Public meeting at Pragati Maidan, Patan
On Day 2 of the Navsarjan Yatra, Rahul Gandhi will travel from Banaskantha to Patan in Gujarat, meeting citizen groups along the way
"What China does in a day for employment, Modi takes a year to do," says Rahul Gandhi
"We are in a battle with China," Gandhi stated at the corner meeting in Sabarkanta. "In 24 hours, China gives over 50,000 youths a job...tell us how many youths in India have a job?" He asked comparing the two nations. "The answer is 450 jobs. This is Modi's startup India," the Congress vice-president said. "What China does in a day, Modi takes a year to do," he added.
Rahul Gandhi receives rousing reception in Patidar dominated Majra village in Gandhinagar
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was given a rousing reception in the Patidar dominated Majra village in Gandhinagar district where he also sported a garrison cap inscribed with the slogan “Jai Sardar, Jai Patidar”. He received the villagers standing on his campaign bus gate and soon after removed the cap, implying that the Congress and agitating Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) were yet to arrive at a conclusion on the issue of reservation for the Patidars under the OBC category.
As the Congress vice-president heads for lunch at a roadside outlet, people wearing ‘Rahul Gandhi masks’ gather in Prantij in Sabarkantha district, according to The Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi's expected schedule during his Gujarat election campaign on Monday:
9.50 am: Arrival at Ahmedabad Airport
1045 am: Swagat at Chiloda Circle, Gandhinagar
11.10 am: Swagat at Chala, Gandhinagar
11.30 am: Swagat at Prantij, Sabarkanta District
12 pm: Corner meeting at Prantij, Sabarkanta
1.30 pm: Corner meeting at Mehtapura Himmatnagar, Sabarkanta
2.45 pm: Corner meeting at Pratap School Ground, Idar, Sabarkanta
3.40 pm: Swagat at Vadali, Sabarkanta
4.15 pm: Public meeting at Khedbrahma, Sabarkanta
6.15 pm: Swagat at Hadad, Banaskantha district
7 pm: Swagat at DK Trivedi Circle, Ambaji, Banaskantha
7.10 pm: Visit to Ambaji Temple, Ambaji,
Overnight Stay at Circuit House, Ambaji, Banaskantha
With inputs from Darshan Desai
Six districts in three days
In his three-day road trip, Rahul will cover six districts of North Gujarat. He will hold meetings with women, villagers and different communities during the tour, party officials said.
He will also visit the famous Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district on Saturday. In the recent weeks, Gandhi had conducted such campaign tours in Saurashtra, central Gujarat and south Gujarat.
At a rally in Gandhinagar, Gandhi launched an attack at the Centre over its decision to revise the structure of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Dubbing the tax as Gabbar Singh Tax, Gandhi said, "there is no need for five different taxes — India needs only one tax." GST needs a structural reform, he added.
12:23 (IST)
Rahul breaks security barricades to meet villagers in Harij village
Villagers met Rahul Gandhi's convoy in Harij village in Patan district, according to The Indian Express. The Congress vice-president broke security barricades to meet them.
12:08 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi meets National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members
11:57 (IST)
RECAP: Will criticise the Prime Minister, but won't disrespect him, says Rahul Gandhi
Speaking in Gujarat on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi had asserted that despite the political rivalry with the BJP, his party would never disrespect the Prime Minister, reported NDTV. "When Modi-ji was in the opposition, he used to speak with disrespect about the PM. That is the difference between us and them, no matter what Modi says about us, we'll not go beyond certain point as he is the Prime Minister."
11:18 (IST)
BJP still expected to win Gujarat
Hindustan Times talked to people in Gujarat and found out that while the BJP vote-share will dip, Modi will still ride home on the back of young, largely first-time voters, yet again.
11:03 (IST)
Visuals from Rahul's interaction with leaders from SC Community in Patan
11:00 (IST)
RSS is a 'manuwadi' organisation, says Rahul
My family also falls in general category, says Rahul. "RSS is a 'manuwadi' organisation. Many people in general category are not 'manuwadi'. We will work for the betterment of scheduled castes," he adds.
10:54 (IST)
Dalit leaders ask Rahul to work for those who clean sewers
The dalit leaders pointed out how people still have to go down into sewers and clean them. They asked Rahul to act against such practices.
10:52 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi starts interaction with Dalit leaders
10:45 (IST)
Crowds gather to listen to Rahul Gandhi
10:13 (IST)
RECAP: Rahul Gandhi targets Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, says SEBI has termed him 'beimaan'
Rahul Gandhi targeted Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday over the SEBI slapping a fine on his firm for alleged manipulative share trade, and asked the Prime Minister to speak out on the issue.
Speaking during his poll campaign tour of Gujarat, he claimed that the share market regulator has termed Rupani "beimaan" (dishonest) and imposed a fine on him.
Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out against his "dishonest" chief minister.
"Gujarat is more corrupt than the entire country. Surat businessmen told me that policemen come to their units every two minutes (allegedly to demand bribe)," he said.
10:10 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi visits Patan's Vir Megh Maya Temple
10:04 (IST)
RECAP: BJP takes attack to Rahul Gandhi
With Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi pushing for rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said Congress leaders are "hypocrites" as they support the indirect tax at GST Council meets but speak against it in public.
Referring to Gandhi's promise to cap GST rates at 18 percent if voted to power, Javadekar said the Congress vice-president intends to increase the tax burden on the common people.
"I want to ask what kind of uniform tax structure he (Gandhi) wants? He is advocating for 18 percent GST on all items. It means that all those commodities that fall in zero percent, 5 percent or 12 percent slabs should be charged at 18 percent. It seems the Congress wants to increase the tax burden on people," Javadekar said at a press conference.
10:02 (IST)
RECAP: Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat Day 2: 'Congress tsunami' is coming to the state, says party VP, tells cadre not to speak ill of PM
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted that his party will sweep the Gujarat state polls in December, as a "tsunami is coming and the (ruling) BJP is scared of it", and exhorted his party not to speak ill of the office of prime minister even while criticising the government.
He said the electoral battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress was a "battle of truth versus lies", but asked his party to exercise restraint even while criticising the government's policies and not get personal. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi may say anything about us, but we will not indulge in any loose talks about him and maintain the decorum of the office of prime minister."
09:53 (IST)
Visuals from the second day of Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat tour
09:51 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi 's temple visits not 'soft Hindutva', only a continuation of old family practice
Fighting an unequal war on a rival’s best-kept ground needs quite an effort and it often doesn’t work if that doesn’t come with conviction, though it may appear to be genuine. This exactly is the case with Congress scion Rahul Gandhi who on Saturday morning visited the famed Akshardham Temple Complex and signed out the day in the evening with prayers at the popular Ambaji Temple in north Gujarat.
Soft Hindutva is the clichéd charge that gets immediately hurled on any Congress leader who begins his tour to Narendra Modi’s Gujarat by visiting popular temples. If this is what Gandhi is trying to do, though he does not mention any of it in his interactions with the local populace, it does not work out. Simply because seekers of Hindutva will prefer the real thing, Modi, and nothing less.
09:02 (IST)
Visual of Rahul Gandhi's Day 3 schedule in Gujarat
09:01 (IST)
Updates for Day 3 (Monday) of Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat trip start here
19:38 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi to address public meeting at Pragati Maidan, Patan
18:50 (IST)
Gandhi visits Valinath Mandir in Thara
18:48 (IST)
Gandhi says 'BJP is scared' about the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections
"A tsunami is coming and BJP is scared," Gandhi said at a rally in Thara." He urged that in the "battle of truth and lies," his supporters should show their feelings about the Gujarat government through their votes. "Congress workers have tolerated BJP rule for 22 years, fight in the polling booths and show everyone what you feel about GST, note ban, the government stealing the Narmada river and bring about change," he said.
18:41 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi questions govt on their commitment to farmers issues
"What has the farmer not done for the nation," Rahul Gandhi asked the Centre at a public meeting in Thara. "They give their sweat and blood when they work. Still, you can forgive the debts of the rich industrialists but you cannot follow through with loan waivers? You cannot build a food processing plant here?" Gandhi questioned at the rally. Rahul also reiterated his points about GST and note ban, saying that he will do his best as the Opposition against the 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and that he will remind everyone how the note ban "helped thieves turn black money white"
18:28 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi begins public meeting at Thara, Banaskantha
18:16 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi says govt should bring fuel items under GST to reduce inflation
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi urged the Central government to bring fuel items under GST in order to check inflation while keeping them under the 18 percent slab at the maximum.
"It is country's voice. The government should stop giving excuses. GST on basic amenities used by ordinary people should be removed," Gandhi tweeted.
"To reduce the burden of inflation, they should bring petrol, diesel and gas cylinder under GST. Fix one rate for GST which would be the least possible and should not be more than 18 percent at any cost," he added. —IANS
17:47 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi's itinerary for Day 2 of his Navsarjan Yatra
17:43 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi targets Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, says SEBI has termed him 'beimaan'
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi targeted Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday over the SEBI slapping a fine on his firm for alleged manipulative share trade, and asked the prime minister to speak out on the issue.
Speaking during his poll campaign tour of Gujarat, he claimed that the share market regulator has termed Rupani "beimaan" (dishonest) and imposed a fine on him.
Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out against his "dishonest" chief minister.
"Gujarat is more corrupt than the entire country. Surat businessmen told me that policemen come to their units every two minutes (allegedly to demand bribe)," he said.
Read more here
17:27 (IST)
More visuals of Rahul Gandhi in Banaskantha
17:11 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi discusses issues with people from Denotified Tribes (DNTs), also known as Vicharti Vimukta Jati at Akhiol Chokdi in Deesa
17:00 (IST)
Gujarat has rejected Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders are adopting double standards on GST, says Prakash Javadekar
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said Congress leaders are "hypocrites" as they support the indirect tax at GST Council meets but speak against it in public.
Referring to Gandhi's promise to cap GST rates at 18 percent if voted to power, Javadekar said the Congress vice-president intends to increase the tax burden on the common people if he intends that "all products" should be under the 18 percent slab.
He said Gandhi's visit to Surat on 8 November turned out to be a damp squib as many people did not attend his rally. "People on board his flight to Delhi told us that Rahul was very angry. It shows that people have rejected him and the Congress's politics of hypocrisy, something which we never do," Javadekar added.
Responding to Rahul's allegations against development in Gujarat, Javadekar said that," Congress has lost it. Development is at its place." Javadekar earlier participated in a door-to-door campaign in Sabarmati area of the city.
With inputs from PTI
16:30 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi tweets against GST, says government must cap tax slabs at 18 percent
16:12 (IST)
Sitaram Yechury says he 'can’t compare Rahul with Sonia Gandhi'
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said in a News18 interview, "Sonia Gandhi is the glue that binds the opposition. Can’t compare Rahul with Sonia." This statement by Yechury implies that the Left may not be comfortable with Rahul Gandhi leading the Indian general elections in 2019.
16:02 (IST)
Rahul slams demonetisation
"Through the note ban, Modi has made sure that all the thieves in Hindustan have stashed their money," claims Rahul Gandhi.
16:01 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi fires salvo against Jay Shah
"Ask any businessman if they can convert Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in a few months. They will tell you this is only possible through corruption," Rahul said in his rally in Banaskantha. "Yet, Amit Shah's son Jay Shah managed to do this in only 3 to 4 months," the same chowkidaar (watchman) has now become a bhagidar (collaborator) in this corruption," "The same PM who said 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga,' is now saying 'Na bolunga, na bolne dunga'!" Gandhi said in an attack directed at Modi. "If he (Jay Shah) is such a genius businessman, then please tell your secrets to the businessmen of Gujarat so that we can see progress here."
15:56 (IST)
Visuals from Rahul Gandhi's meeting with a delegation of businessmen and Patidar leaders of Banaskantha
15:54 (IST)
Gandhi claims Narendra Modi-led central govt only favours rich industrialists
"Modi will only give benefits to 5 or 10 rich industrialists, you know their names," Rahul claimed at a rally in Banaskantha. "The 35,000 crores that we gave for MGNREGA gave crores of jobs. The amount of money we gave to this scheme, the BJP gave to Tata Nano producers," he said to emphasise his point. "If the money for Tata Nanos was given to the farmers, then imagine the changes that would happen. But not even a rupee will be given to farmers," the Gandhi scion said, adding that the government will take electricity from the poor and take their water from the Narmada river, but they won't live up to their 'vadas' (promises)
15:50 (IST)
Rahul claims Modi has failed the farmers in Gujarat
Rahul Gandhi said that Modi claimed that potatoes will become gold, they will not be sold in kgs but in grams and that their prices will rise so much that the farmers will become rich. "This was the BJP's promise to farmers in Banaskantha, but are they rich yet?" Gandhi asked. "These are Modi ji's lies," Gandhi said, adding that Modi was not able to deliver any of his campaign promises. He said that Modi will speak of potatoes in Banaskantha, he will speak clothes and diamonds in Surat, but it all will not reflect in Gujarat.
15:22 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting at Deesa, Banaskantha
15:21 (IST)
Recap: On Day 1 of Rahul Gandhi's 'Navsarjan with Congress', Congress vice-president attacks note ban, demonetisation and the developments regarding Jay Shah
Asserting that the Centre's decision to reduce the GST rates on a number of items was due to pressure from the Opposition, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he would not rest till the five-slab "Gabbar Singh Tax" was converted into the "Goods and Services Tax" with an 18 percent cap.
The Gandhi scion, who launched his poll campaign in north Gujarat after offering prayers at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, said that GST was in dire need of structural changes. "It is good that the Congress party and the people of this country pressurised BJP to bring down many items from 28 percent bracket to 18 percent. However, we are not happy and we shall not stop. India does not need five different taxes but one tax. GST needs structural change," he said.
Read more here
15:15 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi is now expected to visit Wadinath Temple in Thara soon
14:59 (IST)
More visuals from the rally in Banaskantha district
14:57 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi addresses the audience in Palanpur. Twitter@ashokgehlot51
14:47 (IST)
Visuals from Rahul Gandhi's public address in Palanpur, Banaskantha district
14:32 (IST)
#Recap: Rahul Gandhi says Congress won't disrespect the prime minister's position
On Sunday, the Congress leader said, "Whatever we do, spot Modi's faults or disturb BJP, we won't disrespect PM's position. When Modi Ji was in the Opposition, he used to speak with disrespect about the prime minister (Manmohan Singh). That is the difference between us and them: no matter what Modi says about us, we'll not go beyond a certain point as he is the prime minister."
14:10 (IST)
Here are pictures from the events Rahul Gandhi took part in on the second day of the Navsarjan Yatra on Sunday.
13:58 (IST)
Comparing Gujarat with Himachal Pradesh
With the two Indian states, namely Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, going to polls this season, Rahul Gandhi compared the achievements of the Congress-led Himachal government with those of the BJP-led state government in Gujarat.
Gandhi also claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, where polling took place on 9 November, had done better work than the BJP regime in Gujarat, which goes to the polls in December. He claimed that development in Himachal Pradesh far exceeded the 'Gujarat Model'.
"The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh opened four medical colleges, but in Gujarat, no (new) medical college has come up," Gandhi said. "The Himachal government did not close down a single school, but the Gujarat government shut down 13,000 government schools. Himachal gave 14 lakh houses to the poor (under a scheme), but in Gujarat, the number of houses given by the government was half of that. Gujarat also lags behind Himachal in education and generating jobs," he said.
13:53 (IST)
On GST and demonetisation
The two issues around which Rahul Gandhi has focussed his rally speeches in Gujarat have been GST and demonetisation. On Saturday, claimed in a rally in Himmatnagar that the current tax slabs were designed to benefit the rich. "The aim of GST was to break the backbone of small and medium businesses in India and to strengthen the backbones of a selected few rich industrialists," Gandhi emphasised that India needed a unified tax and simple tax and if the BJP-led Central government did not manage to fix GST, then the Congress party will make sure it happens "when they come to power".
The 47-year-old Amethi MP also slammed demonetisation, saying, "The government which tells people at 8 pm in the night that it is going to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes within four hours, does not know what is in the hearts of people." He made an analogy that the BJP government lived in a "house without doors or windows" and that only such a government "which doesn't care about what's going on outside and who don't know what the people need" could implement the note ban.
13:44 (IST)
Visuals from Danta in Banaskantha district, where Rahul Gandhi got down from the tour bus to meet the crowd that had gathered
13:25 (IST)
Crowds gather around Rahul Gandhi's bus on Sunday as he campaigns through Gujarat during the road trip
13:22 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi addresses the crowd on the second leg of the Navsarjan Yatra. Image courtesy: Twitter@ashokgehlot51
13:14 (IST)
Congress VP addresses crowd in Gujarati
Rahul Gandhi went beyond the typical Gujarati greeting "kem chho", and spoke an entire sentence in Gujarati, stating that, "Gujarat ma Modiji aave, Amit Shahji aave, UP na CM Yogiji aave, toye Bhajap sarkar nahi aave (Even if Modi, Amit Shah or UP chief minister Yogiji comes to Gujarat, a BJP government won't come to the state)"
13:03 (IST)
'Running on schedule'
Rahul Gandhi's programme on the second day of the Navsarjan Yatra on Sunday is running on time, as per schedule. Here are the events for the rest of the day:
· 1 pm : Swagat at Mota, Banaskantha
· 1:30 pm : Corner meeting at Hawai Pillar Ground, Deesa, Banaskantha district
· 2:30 pm : Swagat by Bhildi, Banaskantha district
· 3:30 pm : Visit to Wadinath Temple, Thara
· 3:45 pm : Corner meeting at OP Plaza Ground, Thara
· 4:45 pm : Visit to Sada Ram Bapu Ashram at Totana, Banaskantha district
· 5:15 pm : Swagat at Roda, Patan district
· 6 pm : Swagat at Kansada Darwaja, Patan
· 6:15 pm : Public meeting at Pragati Maidan, Patan