-
Demonetisation and GST are 'two torpedoes' that Modi fired at India's economy, says Rahul
Bhugat Raha Hai Desh—this will be the slogan with which the Congress will take to the streets on November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, to protest against the Modi government's decision last year to scrap high value notes.
The slogan, whose English counterpart is 'India is suffering', and the modalities of the protest to be held across the country, were decided at a meeting chaired by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at the party headquarters in Delhi on Monday.
The meeting, which included AICC general secretaries and state in-charges, was also attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former finance minister P. Chidambaram, senior party leader A.K. Antony, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh and finance ministers of the Congress-ruled states.
The Congress' assessment is that after one year of demonetisation, and with the impact of 'faulty' implementation of the Goods and Services Tax having an impact on businesses, rendering people unemployed and the common man feeling the pinch, the party could look at the 'suffering of the people' as a theme to take on the Modi government, not just in the context of the coming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, but through to the next Lok Sabha elections, scheduled to be held in 2019.
In a brief statement after the meeting, Rahul said, “The prime minister has failed to understand the pain in the hearts of the people of this country. The PM's decision of notebandi was an out-and-out disaster. I don't know what the government will celebrate on November 8.”
He said that the demonetisation and the GST were 'two torpedoes' that Modi had fired at India's economy, and while the economy survived the first attack, the second one succeeded in destroying it.
On November eight, Congress workers will take to the streets in every district and state headquarters. While rallies and demonstrations will be held during the day, candle marches will be carried out in the evening. Rahul is also expected to participate in the protest.
Meanwhile, the meeting noted that there is 'widespread anger' amongst the traders with regard to GST, and it was decided that the ministers from Congress governments on the GST council will take up the problem areas in the meetings of the panel even as the party vociferously raises the issues outside.
It is felt that the government is on the backfoot over the impact of the demonetisation and the GST, and it would be politically beneficial for the Congress to take on the Modi regime aggressively on these issues.
“There was a certain amount of arrogance in the government. However, since BJP leader Yashwant Sinha's letter went public and there is a groundswell of opinion, the government is a lot more amenable now to our suggestions,” said Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.
