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Updated: Feb 16, 2019 23:36 IST

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday hit out at the Modi government, claiming that the government doled out crores of rupees to industrialists such as Anil Ambani and Vijay Mallya and promised just Rs 3.50 per day to farmers. Gandhi was speaking at a convention of tribals here in Chhattisgarh.

“Lakhs and crores of rupees have been given to the people like Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, but farmers will get just Rs 3.50 per day,” he said, referring to the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, under which farmers cultivating up to two hectares (five acres) will get direct cash support of Rs 6000 annually.

“Is this a joke? When the announcement of Rs 6,000 for farmers was made in the Union Budget, BJP MPs were thumping their desks in Lok Sabha,” Gandhi said.

Addressing the tribals of Bastar, Gandhi said, “Jal, Jungle and Zameen (Water, forest and land) belong to you and you are the ones who should get the benefits generated from these resources.”

Gandhi assured that if Congress is voted to power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, a minimum income guarantee would be given to the poor and the money would be deposited directly into their bank accounts.

“The poll promises (made by Modi) regarding transfer of Rs 15 lakh into everyone’s bank account and providing two crore jobs have not been implemented,” he said

Alleging that demonetization was a farce, Rahul Gandhi said “If demonetization was a fight against black money, why did the honest people have to stand in queues,” said Gandhi.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday returned the ownership documents to Chhattisgarh farmers and tribal people, whose land was acquired for a Tata Steel factory in Bastar district of the state.

“Chhattisgarh became the first state to return land to the farmers and tribals after having acquired the same for a development project,” Gandhi said.

The Congress had promised in the run up to the Chhattisgarh assembly election to return the land to its original owner if voted to power.

The land was acquired for a factory in 2008, which could not be established by Tata Steel. Spread over 10 villages, total 1,764.61 hectares of land belonging to 1,707 farmers had been acquired by the government.

Reacting over the speech and allegation made by Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson and senior leader Sacchinand Upasane said that Rahul Gandhi is misleading people by stating wrong facts.

“What the Bharatiya Janata Party government has done in last five years in Centre and Raman Singh did in 15 years of Bharatiya Janata Party rule in Chhattisgarh was never done since independence,” said Upasane.