'It takes a thief to know a thief': Rahul hits-out at Modi after PM says demonetization led to crackdown on shell firms

Nov 12 (AZINS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he claimed that demonetization led to a crackdown on shell firms.

Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I am shocked that a few Congress leaders, who are out on bail question us what have we done for welfare of people! They question steps like demonetization, which led to a crackdown on several shell firms."

"They want an account of demonetization. It was due to the demonetization that fake companies were identified. And because of that you had to seek bail. Why do you forget that it was due to the note ban that you had to seek bail," he said without naming the Gandhis. Modi announced the ban on high-value currency notes on November 8, 2016.

Modi's remarks were an apparent reference to the bail granted by a Delhi court to Rahul and Sonia in December 2015 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the National Herald case.

However, reacting to Modi's remarks, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at Modi and said that It takes a thief to know a thief.

"The PM’s latest Demonetisation barf is, 'Shell Firms'," said Rahul in a tweet.

Adding that ironically, the only “Shell” firms identified after the great Demonetisation tragedy are — Jay Shah's, Temple Enterprises — Piyush Goyal's Flashnet — Anil Ambani's Reliance Airports. It takes a thief to know a thief.

The Congress party has alleged that demonetization was a 'scam' to convert black money to white and asked the BJP to declare who is responsible for the 'economic loss' caused by the Modi government's move.

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the demonetization "disaster" an economic revolution and had given tackling black money, counterfeit currency, terrorism and Naxalism as reasons for the move.

However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had staunchly defended the demonetization drive, saying 'prophets of doom' have been proven wrong as hard data of two years shows an increase in tax base, greater formalisation of the economy and India retaining the fastest growing economy tag for the fifth year in a row.