Congress accuses Modi govt of ‘stealing’ mangalsutras of women

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday alleged the government is responsible for “stealing” mangalsutras from women due to rise in default on gold loans in the country because of its cronyism, erratic policies and warped priorities. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that people are defaulting on at least 30 per cent of gold loans and claimed women are losing their gold, including mangalsutras. “The Modi government’s rampant cronyism, erratic policymaking, and warped priorities have earned it the dubious distinction of being the only Government in the history of Independent India to steal mangalsutras from women,” Ramesh said on X. “At a time when the PM was scaremongering about some imagined plot to steal ‘Mangalsutras’, we had raised the issue of the rapid rise in gold loans during his tenure,” he said in his post. Citing reports, he said an estimated Rs 3 lakh crore in gold loans have been taken out by the Indian families.