Joblessness is a ‘Modi-made disaster’: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday described demonetisation and GST as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “double tap” fired to kill the economy and hit out at finance minister Arun Jaitley for his failure to offer an antidote to counter the gloom that has led to joblessness which, he claimed, is a “Modi-made disaster”.

Speaking at the PHD Chamber of Commerce, the Gandhi scion accused Mr Modi and his government of “killing” the economy by firing the “double tap” of demonetisation and GST into its heart.

He said that GST has unleashed “tsunami of tax terrorism” and Mr Jaitley “has the nerve to say things are just fine”.

The rising unemployment in India is a “MMD — Modi-made disaster” — and after 3 years of the NDA government, India’s expectations are shattered, said Mr Gandhi.

Hitting back, the BJP took a jibe at Mr Gandhi saying that “Congress vice-president and rhetoric “make a good combination”. The saffron party also accused the Congress of attempting to desperately spread doom, hoping that it will shore up its prospects.

Mr Gandhi also attacked the government on the social media, targeting the finance minister by tweeting a comic verse, “Aap kehtey hai aap kissi sey kum nahi, magar aapki dava mein dum nahi (You claim you are no less than the others, but your medicines have no strength).”

Mr Gandhi’s tweet came a day after Mr Jaitley retorted to Mr Gandhi’s barb on the new tax regime, which the Congress leader had likened to a Bollywood villain.

Highlighting the problems of small and medium sector, Mr Gandhi said, “First notebandi bang and then GST bang, crippled our economy.”

“The way this regime is working — or not working — has led to a ‘double tap’ killing of the Indian economy,” he said. Commandos in a hostage situation fire what is called a “double tap” - two quick shots fired in the chest to ensure that their devil’s target is down, is dead.

The Congress V-P accused the government of unleashing tax terrorism with GST. “The trust in this government is dead. For some reason the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in the country is a thief. The government does not believe in its people and the people have slowly withdrawn their trust from the government.”

The Congress has been critical of both the GST and demonetisation. It has accused the government of letting the economy go in a free fall because of its faulty policies.

Mr Gandhi said, “As we all know, GDP growth has been slowing. Private investment has collapsed. Agriculture growth is at its lowest ebb. Exports have been declining. In 2014, India’s GDP was growing at 6.6% but today according to the old method of measurement, it rests at 4.2%.”

Mr Gandhi has been raising the issue of unemployment at several platforms. He also talked about it in his visit to the US. The Congress has made unemployment and mismanagement of the economy a major poll plank in the upcoming Assembly elections of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

The Congress, along with several Opposition parties, is observing the first anniversary of demonetisations on November 8 as “Black Day”.

The Congress leader’s attacks on the PM on Thursday left the BJP fuming. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Rahul and responsibility never go together, but Rahul and rhetoric make a good combination.”

He also questioned Mr Gandhi over his silence during the UPA regime when the economy, he claimed, was “doomed”.

“When the UPA was in charge of the economy, there was a policy paralysis and the economy was doomed. Why did he (Rahul Gandhi) not utter a single word at that time?” asked Mr Patra.

Another BJP spokesman, G.V.L Narasimha Rao, alleged that that the Congress was attempting to spread doom with political motives.

“Rahul Gandhi believes that if a lie is repeated a hundred times, it will stick in public mind. But the people know that the economy is doing well and it is the Congress which is on ventilator support in an ICU,” he said.

Mr Rao alleged that the Congress had left the country as one of the five fragile economies in the world in 2013.