High unemployment rate due to GST, demonetisation: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday attributed the highest unemployment rate of the country in the last 45 years to GST and demonetization.

Addressing a massive gathering in Mahuva, Saurashtra region of Gujarat, said that the masses stopped buying products when GST was brought in and demonetization implemented. Factories closed and unemployment increased, he remarked.

The Congress is giving focus on Saurashtra region from it won a maximum number of seats in the 2017 assembly elections. Gandhi campaigned for candidates of Amreli, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar LS constituencies.

Once again dwelling upon the details of NYAY, Gandhi said that the magic would start the moment 30 per cent poor people get money. They will start buying, factories will open, employment will be generated, he remarked. “Like a key helps you to start an engine, NYAY will start the engine of India's economy,” he said.

Those whose monthly income is below Rs 12,000 will be the direct beneficiaries of NYAY, Gandhi said, adding that whether you like it or not but the money will go into the accounts of women.

NYAY, he said, is an answer to all the injustices Narendra Modi and his government has done to the farmers and small traders in the last five years. The scheme will be implemented immediately after the Congress comes to power, he claimed, adding that there won't be a single person left whose income is less than Rs 12,000 per month.

Gandhi named a handful of industrialists, who he claimed were benefited by Narendra Modi. The Congress president said money would come from their pockets and not the middle class. “The Congress will increase the income tax,” he held. Gandhi said that whenever Congress talked about MSP, farm loan waiver or NYAY, the BJP immediately asks as to where would money come from. 

Mentioning that he wanted to do away with the problems faced by farmers, Gandhi said that he would not want any farmer to go behind the bars for not repaying debt.

The Gujarat Congress leadership, including latest entrant in the Congress Hardik Patel, spoke at the rally.

The opposition is trying to consolidate in the Saurashtra region, more so after Thakor leader, Alpesh Thakor, left the part. The Congress might suffer some loss in North Gujarat area due to Thakor's exit.

On the other hand, campaigning for the party's candidates, national BJP president Amit Shah took a dig at opposition's grand alliance. He was campaigning in North Gujarat.

Shah said that one of BJP's party worker had sent him a message saying that leaders of the grand alliance of the likes of Mayawati, Akhilesh, Mamata Banerjee would take turns to become Prime Ministers on weekdays and on Sunday it will be a holiday. He named all the leaders to make up for days from Monday to Saturday.