GST snatching away the poor's money, country weeps over Modi's mistakes : Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat

Addressing a rally in Bharuch district in the  third phase of his campaign, Gandhi also challenged Modi's statement that doing business in India has become much easier, claiming that the experience of small traders is just the opposite.

He said "there  is undercurrent of dissatisfaction and unhappiness" over the BJP’s policies of GST and demonetisation across the country and Gujarat.

"The GDP dropped by 2 percent  but they didn’t stop there. We warned them to implement the GST carefully. We told them the rate shouldn’t exceed 18 percent  and that there shouldn’t be five slabs," he said.

"We sent our leaders...told Arun Jaitley that it’s not a case of BJP vs Congress, it’s about the people.... I have renamed it to Gabbar Singh tax...Poor people toil and their money is snatched from them."

The Congress Vice President alleged that small time  businessmen, who don't have accountants, have to file three  forms every months. "They come to me and tell me, "Rahul ji I can't understand the rates...I sell miscellaneous items.””

"And now they want to celebrate on 8 November. The country is weeping over PM Modi’s mistakes but the Government is not ready to accept this," Gandhi said.

He also wanted to know from the PM where is the black money Modi had promised to unearth.

Gandhi said while Modi has quoted a foreign organisation, saying India has improved in ease of doing business, "I urge Jaitley to go to a small time trader and ask them how they do business...they will tell them there’s no ease of doing business."

Gandhi, who is in Gujarat for two days, will be attending various meetings and rallies in Bharuch and Surat.

Gujarat will go to polls in two phases, on 9 and 14 December.