In his first election campaign rally in Mumbai, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised a 500 sq.ft. home for every slum dweller under the slum redevelopment scheme, and for tenants and cess building residents, if his party were to come to power in the State and at the Centre. He also said that unlike the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress will implement a minimum income guarantee scheme if elected.
Mr. Gandhi’s speech revolved around issues faced by small businesses, shopkeepers and students, and the impact of demonetisation, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other decisions taken by the government. He said the Union government was busy waiving loans of 15 business houses while small traders and businesses suffered due to its draconian policies.
“I made a promise of farm loan waivers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, which was fulfilled within 10 days of our party coming to power. Today, I make a promise in Mumbai that if Congress comes to power in Maharashtra, each slum dweller will get a 500 sq.ft. house in slum redevelopment schemes,” Mr. Gandhi said at the party rally in Bandra-Kurla Complex.
At present, slum dwellers, up to the cut-off year of 2000, get a house of 269 to 300 sq.ft. under the scheme. Mr. Gandhi’s promise is likely to draw interest from slum dwellers and the builder lobby alike.
Speaking about his much-hyped minimum income guarantee scheme, Mr. Gandhi said, “After we come to power in 2019, every poor person in the country will have minimum income guarantee. Every month, every person will get money in their bank account. If [ the BJP] can give ₹3.5 lakh crore to the rich, we can give it to every poor person.”
Criticising the PM-Kisan scheme announced in the interim budget, Mr. Gandhi said, “BJP MPs were clapping over the announcement that farmers will get ₹17 per day. It essentially means ₹3.5 to every person of the family. Anil Ambani got ₹45,000 crore in loans from banks, then the HAL contract was given to him, and these MPs are clapping for ₹3.5 per person. Mehul [Choksi], Nirav [Modi] ran away with ₹35,000 crore and you are clapping for a decision making a fool out of Indians by giving them ₹3.5.”
Mr. Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of waiving loans worth ₹3.5 lakh crore of 15 select businessman. “Mumbai’s medium- and small-scale industry should tell us how much of a loan waiver they got. Did Dharavi’s small businessman get a waiver?” he asked.
Referring to demonetisation, Mr. Gandhi said, “ [Mr. Modi] will ask you to put money in the bank and will make you stand in line . Was Anil Ambani standing in line? Nirav? Mehul? They were flying in private planes and getting black money turned white. This was done by the chowkidar. And your money in the bank was used to waive their loans.”
He challenged the Prime Minister to a one-on-one debate on corruption, saying he had been unable to answer four questions raised by the Congress on the Rafale jet deal in Parliament. “I guarantee you if he were to stand for even two minutes in front of me, he will run away from the country.”