Demonetisation move against honest poor people : Rahul Gandhi

Addressing a public rally at the Mehsana, Modi's home district,  Congress leader alleged that the note ban decision has not been taken with the intent of curbing the flow of black money, but is  targeted against 99 per cent  poor and middle class of the country.

"If Narendra Modiji's government takes any big or small step to eradicate corruption, Congress party will support them...Demonetisation move wasn't made against corruption or black money. It was against the honest poor people," he said.

Slamming the Government for its anti-graft policy, Gandhi said that all cash is not black money and all black money are not cash.

Citing that most of the black money of the country are in foreign banks or had been laundered, the Congress  leader asked why didn't the  Prime Minister  target the 94 per cent black money of the country, stashed in foreign banks  and instead was after only six per cent black cash.

Gandhi claimed that the anti-graft policy was not targeted at the 1 per cent  corrupt of the country but badly affected 99 per cent of the poor people.

"Don't know why PM Modiji did not target the 94 per cent of black money but the other six per cent,  did not target the 1 per cent  corrupt but 99 per cent  honest people."

"You haven't done a surgical strike but you have firebombed the poor people of the country," Gandhi said.

Alleging that the Dalits were being tortured and beaten up in the BJP-ruled Gujarat, the Congress Vice-President said that the BJP Governments in MP, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh have snatched the lands of tribal people.

Gandhi's rally takes place a week before more than 1,000 gram panchayats go to elections and a a fortnight after  Modi addressed a farmers’ gathering in the same district, where he accused the Opposition of not allowing him to speak in Parliament over demonetisation.

Mehsana is  the hotbed of  Patidar quota agitation that demands reservation for community members.

Though the area was known for being a  key vote bank for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the aftermath of the agitation saw the BJP lose its support base in the local body elections held in November 2015.