Raipur: Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday promised to waive farm loans in Chhattisgarh within 10 days of assuming power in the state and said the money for it would come from the "likes of" Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Anil Ambani.
Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation ahead of the second and final phase of the Chhattisgarh polls, Gandhi alleged that Modi made the honest people suffer through the 2016 exercise, but spared the rich.
Addressing a poll rally in Koriya district, he alleged that the prime minister had waived loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of a few rich people, but not those of the poor farmers.
"As soon as the Congress forms the government here, Modiji, you count 10 days. The Congress will waive the loans of each farmer in Chhattisgarh within 10 days," Gandhi said.
He claimed that BJP leaders used to question the previous Congress-led UPA government about the source of money for granting loan waiver.
"Modiji, the money for the loan waiver for Chhattisgarh's farmers will come from the likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Anil Ambani...We will take their money and implement the loan waiver," the Congress chief said.
He alleged that "liquor baron Mallya fled the country with Rs 10,000 crore of the banks, while Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi fled with Rs 35,000 crore".
Addressing a rally in Ambikapur, Modi had Friday claimed that the Congress was "worried" because he took away all the money its "minions and friends" had stashed under their beds and in sacks in one stroke.
"Something rankles them (Congress) in such a way that they are still not able to sleep...No one sitting here is crying. Only one family is crying," Modi had said, while justifying demonetisation.
Gandhi reiterated his charge that the prime minister had helped industrialist Anil Ambani get Rs 30,000 crore in the "Rafale scam".
Turning to demonetisation, he said Modi "robbed the poor and the honest" through the exercise, which invalidated the old Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, and made them stand in queues to exchange the scrapped notes.
"Modiji had said he would fight against black money. He had (recently) said those who had stashed money in
their houses and or kept it hidden under pillows were thieves and that he had taken action against them.
"I want to tell you (people) that you have not committed any theft. The person who has committed a theft is Narendra Modi. He made the honest people stand in queues. Have you ever seen those wearing suit-boot and crorepatis standing in queues (outside banks)?" Gandhi asked the crowd.