A case of inadequate knowledge: Arun Jaitley slams Rahul Gandhi over Mandsaur speech

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday promised farmers' loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh within 10 days, if his party comes to power in the state.

File photo (PTI)

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday hit back at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over his Mandsaur speech, saying it was a case of inadequate knowledge.  

Rahul addressed a rally at Pipliya Mandi in Madhya Pradesh where six farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on June 26, 2017, and slammed the Central and state government over the plight of the agriculturists.

How Much Does He Know? https://t.co/sCwT77f5Pt — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) June 6, 2018

Mr. Rahul Gandhi should do homework before he speaks. Here is how Shri @arunjaitley has busted his lies to the farmers with facts and figures. https://t.co/Y5fENYp2BZ — BJP (@BJP4India) June 6, 2018

Following is the full text of Jaitley's blog which he posted on Facebook titled - How much does he know:

Every time I listen to the view of shri Rahul Gandhi, both inside and outside Parliament, I ask myself the same question - How much does he know? When will he know? Listening to his speech delivered in Madhya Pradesh today reaffirms my curiosity about the answer. Is he being inadequately briefed or is he being a little too liberal with his facts? I take into consideration the six basic points that he made in the speech today -

1) He accused Prime Minister Modi of waiving off the loans of Rs 2.5 lakh crores of the 15 top industrialists in the country - Factually this is completely false.

The government has not waived of a single rupee due from any industrialist. The facts are to the contrary. Those who owed money to the banks and other creditors have been declared insolvent and removed from their companies by IBC enacted by PM Modi’s government. These loans were given largely during the UPA government.

2) Loans are not available to the kisans but only to the industrialists - Factually false.

This was during the UPA government, particularly UPA II, when bulk of amount constitutes the NPA’s today were given by the banking system during the period 2008-14. From 2014 we have been systematically taking one step after the other to recover these monies back.

3) Prime Minister has given Rs 35000 crores each to two diamond jewellers who have now escaped out of the country – factually false.

This banking fraud started in the year 2011 when the UPA II was in power. It was only detected during the NDA period.

4). If the Congress comes to power mobile phones, which are made in China, will now be manufactured in India - a case of inadequate knowledge.

In the year 2014 when UPA went out of power, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing units in India. In 2018, with the result of our electronics policy and the incentives in a four year period, this has increased to 120 units with an investment of Rs 1,32,000 crores.

5) Jobs not being created in India.

The latest GDP date has reemphasised India as the fastest growing economy in the world. There is a double-digit growth in construction, expansion in manufacturing, an increased capital formation which indicates investment increase, a large investment in physical infrastructure and increased investment in rural India. All these are job-creating sectors.

6) We will connect farms and villages to the cities - His impression is of the Digvijay Singh era in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh had the worst set of roads in India when the Congress was voted out in 2003. Poor quality roads was one key reason for ousting the Congress. Thanks to shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Modi who during the NDA government, has tripled the investment in rural roads, in comparison to what the UPA spent, there is a revolution in the Gram Sadak Yojana.

Here's what Rahul said:

Congress president on Wednesday promised farmers' loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh within 10 days, if his party comes to power in the state. "Kamal Nath (MP Congress chief) and Jyotiraditya Scindia (the state poll campaign committee chairman) are sitting here. The day, the Congress comes to power in MP, count 10 days, I say with guarantee that farmers' loan will be waived within 10 days. It won't take even the eleventh day," he asserted.

Virtually kicking off his party's campaign for the Assembly elections due towards the end of the year, Rahul said if the Congress comes to power in MP, those responsible for the death of the six farmers would face strict action within 10 days. "In the entire county, farmers are demanding their rights, yelling and committing suicides, but the Modi government and BJP government in the states have little space for them," he said, PTI reported.

Rahul alleged that the central NDA government has waived Rs 2.5 lakh crore of 15 industrialists, but not even one rupee has been waived for the farmers by the union government or the BJP-led state governments. Contrasting this, he said the governments in Punjab and Karnataka, where the Congress is in power, have already waived the farmers' loan. Rahul claimed that the previous UPA government had waived farmers' loan to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore, "which is a record".

Attacking the PM for his proximity with businessmen, he also alleged that the PM has no time for the farmers and common people.

At the same time, Rahul called upon the Congressmen to go to streets, villages and meet the people. He said people of the country are his first priority, party workers come second and Congress leaders come third. "The one, who remains connected with the people will only be able to form the government," Rahul said.

(With PTI inputs)