Rahul Gandhi slams government over NPR, NRC

On the Congress’ 135th foundation day, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the National Population Register and the proposed NRC, terming the exercises “notebandi no. 2”, and warning that they will be more disastrous than demonetisation.

The party, as part of its protests against the NPR and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), carried out what it called were “flag marches” across the country to take its “Save Constitution, Save India” message to the people.

Thousands of Congress workers and leaders hit the streets in various cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur to denounce the government’s “anti-people policies” and corner it on the amended Citizenship Act, NPR and NRC.

“The basic idea of these exercises is to ask all poor people whether they are Indian or not,” Rahul told reporters on the sidelines of the flag-hoisting ceremony at the AICC headquarters here to mark the 135th foundation day of the party.

“This whole tamasha that is going on is notebandi no. 2. This will be more disastrous for the people than demonetisation. This will have twice the impact of demonetisation,” he said, hitting out at the government. “His (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) 15 friends will not have to show any document and the money generated will go into the pockets of those 15 people,” he said. He has previously accused the government of working for a select few “crony capitalists”.

Detention centre controversy

On the BJP calling him a “liar”, Rahul again attacked Modi over his remarks that there were no detention centres in the country. “You would have seen my tweet. You would have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in which he is saying there are no detention centres in India and you would have seen the video of the detention centre. You can decide who is lying,” he told reporters.

On Thursday, Gandhi had attacked Modi over his remarks that there were no detention centres in the country, alleging that “RSS’s Prme Mnister lies to Bharat Mata”.

Taking to Twitter, he had also attached a video clip in which Modi accused the Congress, its allies and “urban Naxals” of spreading the rumour that Muslims will be sent to detention centres.

The clip also shows a purported detention centre being constructed in Assam. “RSS’s Pime Mnister lies to Bharat Mata,” Gandh hadi said in the tweet in Hindi with the hashtag ‘jhoot jhoot jhoot’ (lies, lies, lies).

Likening the NPR and the NRC to demonetisation, Gandhi on Friday had said in Chhattisgarh that these exercises are “tax” on the poor, who will suffer the same way they did after the note ban in November 2016.

“Whether NPR or NRC, it is a tax on poor people of the country. You understand demonetisation. It was a tax on poor people. Go to banks and give your money but do not withdraw money from your account. Entire money went to the pocket of 15-20 rich people. This (NPR or NRC) is the same thing,” he had said.