Bharat Bachao Rally: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi attacked PM Modi over economy.
The Congress's Rahul Gandhi today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "single-handedly" destroying the economy, pointing to the demonetisation of 2016. The country has never recovered from it, he said at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where the party is holding the Bharat Bachao (Save India) rally - its mega protest on a range of issues, including the state of the economy, the amended Citizenship Act, farmers' distress and jobs.
"Narendra Modi ji came and banned 500 and 1000 rupee notes... fooled you all by saying that this was done to remove black money.... But what happened? Till today the economy has not been able to recover from it," Mr Gandhi said, addressing the crowds.
"There was a time when this country was growing at 9%, people spoke of the success story of China and India... called us 'Chindia'... but look at us today. There are people standing with onions in their hands. Onions have reached Rs 200 a kg," he said, pointing to the rising onion prices.
"We are here to say that the Congress party will not back down... We will fight till our last breath to ensure that the values of this nation and our constitution are upheld," added his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi, who attended the rally along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and her daughter and senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The Congress has chosen to focus on the government's performance amid violent protests over the Citizenship law, which was signed off by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday. Since then, protests have broken out across the BJP-ruled north-eastern states, Bengal and even in Delhi.
As curfew was declared in parts of the northeast, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cancelled his visit and the US and UK advised its citizens touring the country to stay away from the areas witnessing unrest.
There has been no response from the BJP to the Congress accusations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Kanpur, reviewing the ambitious Ganga action plan, Namami Gange.