After elections, chowkidar will go to jail: Rahul Gandhi in Nagpur

Rahul also mooted the idea of making India economically superior to China. “Why have everything made in China? My dream is that our farmers, Vidarbha’s farmers, should be able to sell their products in Chinese, Japanese and American supermarkets. Vidarbha will be at the centre of

After elections, chowkidar will go to jail: Rahul in Nagpur

Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Nagpur on Thursday. (PTI)

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of corruption, and said that the country’s “chowkidar” would be in jail after elections.

He was speaking at a campaign rally here for the Congress’s Nagpur and Ramtek nominees, Nana Patole and Kishore Gajbhiye, respectively.

The Congress leader kept his focus on “corruption, unemployment and farmers’ problems” during the NDA government’s five years. “The Modi government purchased Rafale jets priced at Rs 550 crore each at Rs 1,600 crore. Modi directly dealt with the French government and then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had no idea about it. This had been mentioned in the documents of the Defence Ministry and Parrikar had also said it in so many words,” Rahul said, adding, “Parrikar knew that some fraud had taken place in the deal.”

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Repeating the allegations of favouritism towards businessmen like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya, Gautam Adani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, he said, “They ran away with lakhs of crores and Modi refers to them as Bhai. Modi says make me chowkidar, not PM. After elections, there will be an inquiry, the chowkidar will go to jail.”

Rahul said his “dream idea” was giving Rs 72,000 per year to 20 crore poor families in the country.

“My eyes are fixed on this goal like Arjun had fixed his aim at the fish (in Mahabharata). I will not tell you a lie like depositing Rs 15 lakh in your account because falsehood doesn’t last beyond 2-3 months. I wish to work with you for 15-20 years. This idea has crystallised after 6-7 months of thinking by top brains,” he said.

On BJP leaders questioning the idea, he said, “They ask where the money will come from. They don’t ask this question when it comes to giving land to Patanjali in Nagpur’s MIHAN project and while giving Rafale offset contracts to Anil Ambani, who had no money and competence to handle the project. I will tell you where the money will come from. It will come from the coffers of the likes of Ambani, Choksi and Nirav Modi.”

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Rahul also mooted the idea of making India economically superior to China. “Why have everything made in China? My dream is that our farmers, Vidarbha’s farmers, should be able to sell their products in Chinese, Japanese and American supermarkets. Vidarbha will be at the centre of

Dubai and Singapore. We will set up food processing units near farms and the products will go straight from there to Chinese supermarkets.”

He added, “The Rs 72,000 per year for poor will ensure a buying spree in the market, which will then jumpstart the economy.”