“NPR, NRC a tax on poor people like demonetisation”,says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack against the Modi government on the state of the economy. Hitting out at the Centre over the “deteriorating” economy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the country cannot be run without involving every section of the society. In a veiled attack on the government over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Gandhi also said that nothing can be gained by making people fight among themselves.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the three-day ‘National Tribal Dance Festival, 2019’ held at the Science College ground here. “You know the condition of the country. What is happening in other states…,” he said in an apparent reference to the CAA and NRC.

“You all know the problem of farmers’ suicide, deteriorating condition of the economy, unemployment. There is no need to repeat all these,” he added. “But I would like to say that without taking people from every religion, every caste, tribals, Dalits and backwards together, the economy of the country cannot be run,” Gandhi said.

“You (Centre) do whatever you want, but unless you take people along and unite the country, you cannot do anything to tackle the problem of unemployment and economy. Nothing can be gained by breaking things. The country cannot benefit by making people fight among themselves,” he added.

“If you (Centre) give the entire money to just 10-15 people of the country, implement demonetisation and unscrupulous GST, then neither can employment be generated nor can the economy be strengthened,” he said. Praising the Congress-led Chhattisgarh government for organising the tribal dance fest, he said such events underline the country’s unity in diversity.

“All of us have come here to see the folk dance and culture of tribals in this event and it will also give us a chance to understand their history. But I want that it should not only be limited to this, rather the voices of the tribals should be heard by the government. Their ideas should be included in the functioning of the government,” he said.