Terming demonetisation a 'yajna' where the poor and the labourers are "being sacrificed", Rahul Gandhi on Monday said though the prime minister has assured the problems due to note ban will end by December 30, the "economic lockdown" will continue to hurt people beyond that.
"Modiji has said the problems will end after December 30. But I can say with confidence that it will not be so. These hardships will continue for six-seven months and beyond," the Congress vice president said addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Barn.
He was referring to the prime minister's repeated assurance to the people that the problems due to note ban will begin to ease after the 50-day period.
In his nearly 40-minute speech, Rahul said the poor, the labourers and the middle class are being sacrificed in the demonetisation 'yajna' for the benefit of the "super-rich families" of the nation.
Modi had recently hailed the campaign as a 'yagna’ against corruption and black money.
Rahul also alleged that the Modi government at the Centre and the Raje government in the state have neither waived farmers' loan, nor compensated them for their damaged crops. He also alleged they have not reduced electricity tariffs. Consequently, 60 farmers have committed suicide in Rajasthan alone, the Congress vice president alleged.
"The note ban decision is not against corruption but is an economic lockdown. It is not against blackmoney but against the poor, farmers, labourers and women," he alleged.
"99 per cent of the people do not have black money and they were targeted by the demonetisation drive while on the other hand, there are 50 families who have lakhs and crores of rupees and that is black money," he said.
Stating that the Congress party wants to eradicate corruption and its leaders would support the National Democratic Alliance government against the menace, Gandhi alleged that the decision of demonetisation was "totally against the people of the country".
He said that only six per cent black money is stored in cash while the remaining is in the form or real estate and gold and is also stashed in Swiss bank accounts.
"In the last two-and-a-half years, Modi only worked to create a divide in the country and functioned only for the rich," he alleged.
Rahul alleged that the Modi government tried to "murder" the Land Acquisition Act, which benefits the farmers, and also attempted to stall other pro-poor steps like MNREGA started by the Congress.
He also alleged that the tribals were being exploited in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. "The entire government is functioning of the rich. What Narendra Modi ji is doing at the Centre, the same is being done by the chief minister of Rajasthan.
"In Rajasthan, privatisation is going on. Power tariff was raised by 18 per cent. Have Modiji and the BJP government here taken any step for the poor. They have done nothing for the poor," he said.
He also asked as to why the government has not tabled in Parliament names of those holding Swiss bank accounts.
"How to exempt his friends from heavy loans is currently the sole problem of Narendra Modi who has currently adopted only one policy- 'snatch the money from the poor and nourish the rich'," he said.
Mocking Modi's appeal for cashless transition, the Congress vice president said, "PayTm means- 'Pay to Modi' as 5% commission on payments made through PayTm goes to the families of super rich."
Rahul again read out the dates with years and sum of the amount allegedly paid to Modi by Sahara and Birla when he was Gujarat chief minister. He said that in nine installments, Modi was allegedly paid Rs 40 corer in six months.
He asked the Prime Minister Modi to reply to his charges.
"You can mock me. But the public, the poor are asking the same questions on charges of corruption by you," he said.
