New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha on 'no-confidence motion' during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Friday, July 20, 2018. (LSTV GRAB via PTI)(PTI7_20_2018_000061B) New Delhi : Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament during the no-confidence motion on Friday.
Rahul started off his speech citing how everybody had become victims of the PM’s “Jumla strikes,” be they farmers, youngsters, Dalits, tribals, fishermen or small businessmen.
The Jumla No 1 was Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s bank account and then a promise of two crore jobs every year. Rahul said the youth trusted the PM but the government’s own data shows that only 4 lakh got jobs in the last four years.
“Let me explain other way. While China created 50 lakh jobs in 24 hours, you could get jobs to just 400 youth in the same time,” Rahul said, underlining that this had to happen when the small businessmen who provide jobs were assaulted with the demonetisation, he said.
Firing another assault of the GST, he said the PM didn’t stop at that. It was an original idea of the Congress but then opposed by the BJP as also by Modi as then Gujarat chief minister. “We wanted one GST and cover also petrol and diesel, but the PM brought five rates of GST and ruined the small businessmen by putting Income Tax inspectors on them. The PM talks to only the suited-booted top 15-20 businessmen and so he did not get feedback from the crushed small ones.”
The Speaker intervened that he can’t refer to BJP President Amit Shah or his son businessman Jayesh as they were not members of the House to defend themselves and Rahul agreed that he was only wondering what kind of “Desh ka Chowkidar” the PM claims to be that he did nothing on someone’s income shooting up 16,000 times.
The truth is that Modi is not a “chowkidar” but a “bhagidaar” in the wrong-doings, the Congress chief said.
Rahul said the farmers wanted waiver of their farm loans alike the waiver of Rs 2.5 lakh crore to 20 richest persons in the country, but the finance minister refused, with a taunt that the farmers don’t wear suits to be obliged.
He said the MSP (Minimum Support Price) for kharif crops announced by the Modi government is a new “jumla strike” to benefit the farmers with Rs 10,000 crore, asking the farmers not to be carried away but compare it with The Congress government in Karnataka giving them Rs 34,000 crore as loan waiver.
Rahul also had a dig at Modi for not a word on atrocities on women, Dalits and Adivasis while his minister garlands those convicted for mob lynching.
A game-changing speech: Cong leaders
New Delhi: Congress leaders hailed party president Rahul Gandhi for a ‘game-changing speech’ in Parliament. Several Congress leaders took to Twitter to hail their president and to attack the BJP and the Modi government. “What an astonishing performance by @RahulGandhi. It was a game-changing speech, tearing apart the Govt’s claims & ending with that unscripted hug that has literally taken the BJP’s breath away #BhukampAaGaya,” Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted.
Another Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said,”It (hug) was not scripted. It was on the spur of the moment.”
Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked why the BJP was shaken and why was there so much anger in the saffron party. “Why isn’t the seedling of love growing. Why so much hatred for Rahul Gandhi and Congress. The PM should have thought that even after being junior to him, the way he (Rahul) showed respect, he should have at least thanked him for that,” Surjewala said, referring to Rahul’s hug.
He said the country knew the truth and even if Modi may not give answers to questions raised by Rahul Gandhi he should tell the nation when will farmers get rid of debts, when will youth get 2 crore jobs every year and when will atrocities stop on Dalits, women and weaker sections.
“Be it Giriraj Singh, or Harsimrat Kaur, or Kiron Kher or Smriti Irani or BJP’s official troll spokesperson, I have only one thing to say – Raghupathi Raghav Raja Ram, Aapko bhi sanmati de bhagwan,” he said.
Congress Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken also termed Gandhi’s speech as “excellent” and his hug a “winner”.
“Excellent speech by @RahulGandhi. His four words phrase is going to haunt Modi for a long long time! Cahukidar nahi bhagidar hai. @RahulGandhi’s ‘hug’ was a winner, and this gesture is an answer to the enormous hatred spread under the BJP’s governance!,” he tweeted.