Mocking "Make in India", Rahul Gandhi alleges "made in China" products

Salem, Apr 12: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" slogan, saying the country's market was now flooded with Chinese products.

Addressing a poll rally here, he referred to unemployed youth of Tamil Nadu, saying Modi had hurt them in the last five years, giving "huge amounts of money from the banks to the richest people but not to them."

"He gave you an empty slogan called Make in India but wherever we look we see Made in China products," he said. Be it phone, shoes or shirt "you see made in China," he added. "Now we want real made in India and real made in Tamil Nadu," Gandhi said.

Under Modi, "Make in India" if a young Tamil entrepreneur wanted to start a business he had to knock on the doors of different government offices where "he had to pay bribes," the Congress chief alleged. "By the time he got his permissions the business is already failed," he said.

Hence, the Congress came up with a new idea in its manifesto for entrepreneurs, he said adding "when you want to start a new business you will not have to take permission from any government department for three years."

They could take the permission once the business was established and till such time the focus could be on making the business work and consolidating it, Gandhi said. "Once your business is established take permission."

Terming the GST as Gabbar Singh Tax again, he said it comprised five different taxes and a tax rate of 28 per cent wherein "even weavers had to pay tax if they had to buy thread or material."

The moment his party was voted to power it will be removed and we will give you a "real GST, (envisaging) one tax, minimum tax and a simple tax." Alleging that Modi "takes thousands and thousands of crores and gives it to people like Anil Ambani and Adani," the Congress chief accused the Prime Minister of giving away Rs 3,50,000 crore to 15 of the richest persons in the country.

"But when Tamil farmers are protesting in Jantar Mantar, he has not got even one word to say. They have to take off their clothes and still, he does not pay any attention. He does not have the decency to call them and ask them why they were upset."

However, "Modi hugged every single corrupt businessman, and you can see pictures of him hugging Anil Ambani," Gandhi said.

The Prime Minister could also be seen sitting with Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, but not with any poor person, he alleged. "There is not a single picture of the Prime Minister with a poor farmer or owner of a small business," the Congress chief charged.

Earlier on Friday in a public rally in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri, Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi led-BJP government for indulging in hate politics against the people of the state and claimed he would launch a surgical strike on poverty if brought to power.

"BJP wanted to indulge in hate politics against the people of Tamil Nadu. Without love, we cannot win the hearts of the people of this state," said Rahul Gandhi here.

"Modi had promised Rs 15 lakh in everyone’s bank account. But I knew it was not possible and wanted to know how much could actually be put into everyone’s account. I wanted real numbers, not big theories. I am not for destroying the economy. I want to carry out a surgical strike on poverty," Rahul added.

Accusing the ruling party in the state, Rahul promised Tamil Nadu would be ruled from here and M K Stalin would be the CM.

“We will not allow Tamil Nadu to be ruled from Nagpur. The state will be ruled from here, and Stalin will be the chief minister of the state,” said Rahul Gandhi while concluding his address to the public in the state.