''Modi government, which waived Rs. 2.5 lakh crore for a handful of corporates, has refused to extend a similar gesture to farmers.''

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that in contrast to Karnataka Congress government's investments in people’s welfare, the Central government was allowing the ‘loot’ of the country’s wealth.

Addressing a rally at Chamarajanagar, Mr. Gandhi said the money looted by the likes of Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya belonged to the people of the country. Half of the amount spent by the Modi government on Scheduled Castes' and Scheduled Tribes' welfare in the country was spent by the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka alone,. The State government had distributed 5 lakh free cycles to students and books to 61 lakh students.

''The Modi government, which waived Rs. 2.5 lakh crore for a handful of corporates, has refused to extend a similar gesture to farmers. Though I requested the Prime Minister to waive farm loans, he has not even bothered to reply,” he said. ''In contrast, Mr. Siddaramaiah announced a waiver of farm loans within 10 days of my request to him.”

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Demonetisation

Mr. Gandhi criticised Mr. Modi for demonetisation and accused him of allowing the rich people to convert their black money into white on the sly. “Did you see any crorepati standing in the queues in front of banks [to deposit the demonetised currency,” he asked.

Recalling his interaction with students of Maharani’s Girls College earlier in the day, he said a student told him that demonetisation brought no change or benefit to the country. A questioner also pointed out that the country's GDP was doing well and wondered why several slabs were needed for GST. “When 18-to-20-year-old girls can understand economics, why can’t our Prime Minister,” he said.

Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the BJP had no moral right to accuse the Congress government of corruption when its chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa and other BJP Ministers went to jail on corruption charges.