Deori/Seoni (Madhya Pradesh), Nov 16 (IANS): Flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inflicting the "biggest scam" on the nation in the form of demonetisation, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday assured the people of Madhya Pradesh that his party, if voted to power, would waive farm loans and turn the state into Indias agriculture hub.
Addressing rallies in the state, where the BJP is in power since 2003, Gandhi also targeted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam scam and accused his government of snatching away lands from tribals and farmers and giving them away to a handful of industrialists.
Addressing an election rally in Deori of Sagar district, he said during the note ban exercise of 2016, Modi made hundreds of thousands of labourers, women and small businessmen stand in serpentine queues outside banks.
"Did you see any black money hoarders like Nirav Modi or Mehul Choksi queuing up?" asked Gandhi. "Through the note ban, Modi snatched the hard earned money of the poor and put them in his cronies' pockets.
"In the last two years, unemployment has doubled and suicide rate among the youth has increased by 2,000 per cent.
"China creates 50,000 jobs per day, whereas despite 'Start Up India' and 'Make in India' schemes, the Indian government creates only 450 jobs in a day," the Congress leader said.
Continuing his attack on Modi over the Rafale "scam", Gandhi accused him of being a chowkidar (watchman) only to his industrialist cronies.
Gandhi alleged that much like demonetisation, the deal to procure the 36 French fighter jets was only aimed at enriching his industrialist friends.
Launching a scathing attack on Chouhan, he said: "Entire Madhya Pradesh knows the role of Shivraj Chouhan and his family in the Vyapam scam."
He added that over 1,00,000 government posts in the state were lying vacant while schools and hospitals were privatised and making them inaccessible to the poor.
Addressing another rally in Seoni, Gandhi accused the Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party government of snatching away the land of tribals and farmers.
"Three most important things for tribals and farmers are water, land and jungle. And this government has snatched them away for the sake of a handful of industrialists," he said and assured that if Congress came to power it would protect the land rights of tribals and farmers.
He said by privatising schools, colleges and hospitals, the Chouhan government has made education and healthcare inaccessible for the poor.
"Chouhan has destroyed the entire education system in the state. 50 people have died in the Vyapam scam and entire state knows which family benefited from the scam," alleged Gandhi.
He also ridiculed Modi over his 2014 Lok Sabha poll promises of providing two crore jobs annually and giving Rs 15 lakh to every Indian.
Taking on the BJP over farmer suicides, Gandhi said: "Modi opened doors of the banks for fraudsters like Vijay Mallya and Mehul Choksi.
"His government waived off corporate loans to the tune of Rs 3.50 lakh crore but could not do the same for the poor farmers".
"We don't want two countries -- one of the poor and exploited and other of a handful of rich.
"If we wanted two Indias, we would have hoisted two flags on Independence Day, one for 15-20 industrialists and one for common man. We want one country and we want justice.''
"We will open the doors of the banks for youth, farmers and tribals," said Gandhi promising that food processing units would be set up across the state and Madhya Pradesh would be turned into the country's agriculture hub.
The 230-member state Assembly goes to poll on November 28 and the results will be declared on Dec 11.