New Delhi: The National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register will be more disastrous than demonetisation – that is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi‘s warning to the Narendra Modi government. On the Congress’ 135th foundation day on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi stepped up his attack on the PM.

The party, as part of its protests against the NPR and the NRC, carried out what it called ‘flag marches’ across the country to take its ‘Save Constitution, Save India’ message to the people. Thousands of Congress workers and leaders were out on the streets in many cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur to denounce the government’s ‘anti-people policies’ and corner it on the Citizenship Amendment Act, NPR and NRC.

Rahul Gandhi says NPR, NRC will be worse than demonetisation. Photo credit: News18

Speaking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi explained that the idea of these exercises was to ask all poor people whether they are Indian or not. “This whole tamasha that is going on is notebandi no. 2. This will be more disastrous for the people than demonetisation. This will have twice the impact of demonetisation,” he said, hitting out at the government. “PM’s 15 friends will not have to show any document and the money generated will go into the pockets of those 15 people,” he said. Gandhi has previously accused the government of working for a select few ‘crony capitalists’.

On the BJP calling him a ‘liar’, Gandhi again attacked Modi over his remarks that there were no detention centres in the country

“You would have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in which he is saying there are no detention centres in India and you would have seen the videos of the detention centre. You can decide who is lying,” he told reporters.

On Thursday, Gandhi had attacked Modi over his remarks that there were no detention centres in the country, alleging that “RSS’s prime minister lies to Bharat Mata”.

Likening the NPR and the NRC to demonetisation, Gandhi on Friday had said in Chhattisgarh that these exercises are “tax” on the poor, who will suffer the same way they did after the note ban in November 2016

“Whether National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register, it is a tax on poor people of the country. You understand demonetisation. It was a tax on poor people. Go to banks and give your money but do not withdraw money from your account. Entire money went to the pocket of 15-20 rich people. This (NPR or NRC) is the same thing,” he had said.

In his first rally since protests broke out in Assam over the Nation Register of Citizens, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday also said that the northeastern state might return to the path of violence because of the BJP government’s policies at the Centre and in the state.
Addressing a rally in Guwahati, Rahul said, “I fear that because of BJP, Assam has taken to violence again,” he said referring to the NRC. He also said that the Congress would not allow the BJP to attack the culture, language and identity of Assam and the northeast.