Rahul Gandhi questions source of funding of PM Modi's Lok Sabha poll campaign

Rahul alleged that the prime minister had looted public money and given it to fugitive businessmen such as Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya.

Rahul Gandhi (Source: PTI)

Agra: Even a 30-second advertisement on television costs lakhs of rupees, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday and asked who was funding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a rally in favour of Congress nominee Raj Babbar from Fatehpur Sikri, which goes to the polls in the second phase on April 18, Gandhi said, "Everywhere it is the publicity of Narendra Modi. Where is the money coming from? Thirty seconds on TV or newspaper advertisements require lakhs of rupees. Who is giving the money for it? It is not coming from Modi's pocket." He alleged that the prime minister had looted public money and given it to fugitive businessmen such as Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya. Attacking Modi over his "failed" promises, Gandhi said the prime minister had lied to the youth about generating two crore jobs and to the people of India about putting Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account. "Modi has destroyed the farmers of this country. He came to power making false promises. I will not say we will deposit Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account. I will give you a practical number. We will deposit Rs 72,000 in the bank accounts of the poor people," he added. Elaborating on the "Nyay" scheme promised by the Congress, Gandhi said he had consulted economists on extending financial help to the poor people without disturbing the economy and was given the figure of Rs 72,000 per annum. "When we talk about the Nyay scheme, Modi asks where the money will come from. I want to tell you that it will not come from the pockets of the middle class. There will be no hike in the income tax. It will come from Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and go to your pockets," the Congress chief said. Asking the gathering if anyone had benefitted from Modi's promise of Rs 15 lakh, he said the Congress's promise of Rs 72,000 would benefit 20 per cent of the most poor people in the country. Claiming that 22 lakh government posts were lying vacant and the current rate of unemployment in the country was the poorest in 45 years, the Congress chief said after coming to power, his party would fill these vacant posts, besides generating 10 lakh jobs at the panchayat level. "Farmers work day and night and the benefit is taken away by others...they want to make two Hindustans - one for Anil Ambani and others who get whatever they want and the other for the common people ," he said. "If the money of the rich is waived, then farm loans will also be waived...if farmers go to jail for not re-paying their debts, so will be the case with the rich," Gandhi said, adding that the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had waived agricultural loans in two days as against the promise of 10 days. Highlighting the promises made in the Congress's election manifesto, he said there will be a separate farmers' budget which will spell out what the government will give the farmers and the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. Gandhi took a dig at Modi, saying earlier, the slogan was "achche din ayenge" (good days will come), but in five years, it had changed to "chowkidar chor hai" (the watchman is the thief). Describing the Lok Sabha poll contest as a fight between the Congress's ideology and hatred, Gandhi exuded confidence that his party is coming back to power at the Centre after a gap of five years.