On a day's visit to Surat — a textile hub, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi met traders and weavers to listen to their plights on the first anniversary of the note-ban.

After meeting spinning mill workers and owners in the morning, Rahul said the note-ban caused massive damage to India's one of those few pockets, which was giving China a competition.

"Last year, there was an attack on the India's economy. I have been saying, China is our competition. (Policies will decide) employment remains here or goes to China. Surat is one such place in the country, which has been giving a tough fight to China. But note-ban and the GST that followed, attacked the strength of Surat," Rahul told media outside a powerloom facility.

Attacking the demonetisation move, which was announced a year ago on November 8, 2016, Rahul stated that the decision not just affected Surat but attacked the poor, farmers, workers, SME owners across the country. "This caused massive damage to the country's economy," he said. To mark a protest on demonetisation, a candlelight vigil will be taken out by Congress workers, where Rahul will join them in the evening.

Rahul specially visited Surat ahead of his 3-day planned visit to Gujarat during November 11-13 in North Gujarat. On Rahul's agenda for Surat visit was to meet people affected in the note-ban and industry players who had to incur losses due to structural shift in the tax systems post Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout.

Rahul has planned interactions with traders from dying, powerloom, embroidery and cloth industry including women weavers and artisans to share their plight ahead of the polls in the State.

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