Virtually launching Congress’s campaign for the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, Rahul also took a dig at Mr Modi over the defeat in the Bihar polls
Virtually launching Congress’s campaign for the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, Rahul also took a dig at Mr Modi over the defeat in the Bihar polls
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi here on Saturday said that the logjam in the Parliament on issue of national herald case would not come in the way of passing the GST provided three issues flagged off by the Congress are resolved.
The Congress has been demanding abolition of one per cent additional tax for manufacturing states, a cap on GST rate close to 18 per cent and an independent arbitration mechanism for supporting the GST. Mr Gandhi told reporters, “If three issues are resolved, we will be happy. An impression is given in media that National Herald and GST issue is linked. Let me clear there is no link between the two, the two issues is separate. If our concerns on GST are addressed we will ensure the passage of the bill in the parliament.”
Pointing out that it was Congress, which brought GST, Mr Gandhi said, “If you go to YouTube and check, you can see PM Modi and union Finance minister Arun Jaitley vehemently opposed GST earlier, rubbishing GST as useless. We on the other hand pushed for the GST.” He reiterated that GST was necessary for the nation and his party intends to see it being implemented.
In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Gandhi accused him of only making empty poll promises and creating differences between people in a bid to win elections. Virtually launching Congress’s campaign for the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, Rahul also took a dig at Mr Modi over the defeat in the Bihar polls and asked the people to unite against the BJP.
“One year ago, Modi came to Assam and made big promises. He said whatever came to his mind, that he will bring black money back and put '15 lakh in each Indian’s bank account, give employment to the crores of youths in the country. People laugh at his promises. Before polls, he makes one Indian fight with another Indian and then tries to win the elections. Before elections, some trouble is always created because if people are united, BJP can never win,” he said.
Slamming BJP, Gandhi said that the party has “only one card — pitting brother against brother”. Referring to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress leader said, “Modi went to Bihar and made promises about bringing development there... Made empty promises. “When people of Bihar saw and heard him, they said ‘Modi you go back to Delhi. Your hollow promises, your lies we accepted once, but we are alert people, we will not be influenced by you for the second time’. The people gave such a drubbing in the Bihar elections that Modi now does not sit in Parliament the way he used to earlier, looking upwards with his chest swollen.”
Asking Congress leaders and workers in the state to gear up for the upcoming Assembly elections, he said, “It is very easy to make promises. Modi will come, will make empty promises. Ask him in public meetings what happened to the special status, under which money was sent by UPA government to Assam and northeast region, your poll promises, where is the '15 lakh you had promised to give us. He will return to Delhi.” Keeping up the tirade, he charged that “Modi wants to weaken the poor, he wants to make a government of two/three chosen industrialists, he wants to sell the country to two/three industrialists”.
