Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of Congress has targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that corruption is in full swing in Gujarat, ruled by Bhartiya Janta Party and party leaders are also involved, while PM merely talked about fighting graft with slogans.
Mr Gandhi, on the second day of his campaign as a part of the Congress Navsrajan Yatra in North Gujarat, talked about alleged financial dealings involving BJP president Amit Shah‘s son Jay Shah, and also talked about orders of SEBI slapping a penalty of INR 15 lakh on Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani’s Hindu Undivided Family for manipulating trades in a small company.
Mr Gandhi said that share market regulators had termed Mr. Rupani as beimaan and imposed fine on him, yet PM has nothing to say.
“Gujarat is more corrupt than the entire country,” Mr. Gandhi said. “Surat businessmen told me those policemen come to them every two minutes to demand a bribe.”
“Recently, SEBI said your Chief Minister is beimaan (dishonest) and they fined him for manipulative trades in stock market,” he said, adding, “Earlier, Modijiused to say na khaoonga, na khane doonga [I will neither take graft nor allow it]. Please open your [Mr. Modi’s] mouth now and say something. But he is silent.”
“Now, Modi’s slogan new slogan is na bolta hu, na bolne dunga (I will not speak myself and I will not allow others to speak),” he said.
“The people of the country want to listen what you [Mr. Modi] have to say on Amit Shah’s son’s company and on Vijay Rupani’s share transactions. If you don’t say anything on the issue, the people of Gujarat will believe that you are not a chowkidar (watchman) but a bhagidar (collaborator),” he said.
Mr. Gandhi also demanded the Government to stop levying GST on certain items. Petrol, diesel, and domestic gas cylinders should be brought within the tax ambit.