Janjivan Bureau
Chandigarh: Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad today said Narendra Modi is playing “the reverse of English folklore Robin Hood by robbing the poor of their money and giving it to the rich”.
“Modi is playing the reverse of Robin Hood. Through his demonetisation scheme the poor is being robbed and the money is being given to the rich,” he alleged here.
Traditionally depicted as being dressed in Lincoln green, Robin Hood’s tales are of robbing the rich and giving to the poor.
“The poor is being robbed of their hard earned money and it is being given to Amit Shah (the BJP president) and select industrialists of the country,” Ahmad alleged.
He said people are facing hardships due to demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes and the Prime Minister must clarify his stand in Parliament.
“Modi boasts about demonetisation in his public rallies and at concerts, but he is shying away to face the Opposition in Parliament over the issue,” he claimed, adding “Modi is cheating, defrauding and betraying the common man…and stands exposed”.
Describing Modi as a “non-serious and arrogant” person avoiding to issue a statement in Parliament, he said, “The demonetisation move was unplanned and has created havoc in the country.”
“Close to 95 people have died while standing in queues at ATMs. Modi must clarify his position,” the Congress spokesperson said.
Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister on his pre-poll promise of bringing black money from abroad, he said, “Modi has said NDA will bring black money within 100 days after forming the government, but now he maintains that black money is not stashed in foreign banks but is in the country.”
He said that RSS had opposed the scheme of nationalisation of banks during the then prime minister Indira Gandhi regime.
“Today Modi talks of digitalisation, but it was his BJP which had opposed computerisation implemented during the regime of Rajiv Gandhi.
It had opposed FDI but now it has allowed it in the defence sector as well,” Ahmad said, adding the BJP had also opposed a 2014 decision to phase out currency notes older issued before 2005.
He alleged some persons owing allegiance to BJP has purchased large chunks of land in Odisha and Bihar before demonetisation.
Later, Ahmad addressed rallies for Congress candidates in run up to the December 18 Municipal Corporation election.
