Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi got his entire cabinet "locked up" before announcing his decision to demonetise currency notes.
Addressing a rally in Himachal Pradesh, Mr Gandhi claimed he was given this information by members of the Special Protection Group (SPG), the agency which guards him.
"During demonetization, Narendra Modi put his cabinet under lock and key ("taley se band kiya tha) on Race Course Road," he said, referring to the earlier name of the road on which the Prime Minister's official residence is located.
"This is the truth," Rahul Gandhi said.
"The SPG people provide me also with security. They told me that do you know that the prime minister of India locked up his entire cabinet," he said.
#WATCH Rahul Gandhi in Solan,Himachal Pradesh: Narendra Modi ne apne cabinet ko notebandi ke samay racecourse road mein taale se bandh kar diya tha.Sachaai hai, SPG wale meri bhi security karte hain,inhone ne bataya mujhe pic.twitter.com/YsQLyvsNTF
- ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2019
He also criticised PM Modi over the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"Countrymen say PM Modi committed mistakes by implementing demonetisation and the GST. But PM Modi will never admit it," he said.
The small and medium industrialists, traders and unemployed youth were adversely affected by demonetisation and GST, he added.
Rahul Gandhi also dared Narendra Modi to a debate, saying he has just "four questions" to ask which the prime minister will not be able to answer.
"I am ready to engage in a debate with Modi on corruption at any place," he said.
"Give me 15 minutes, I will ask only four questions. And Modi may take three-four hours to answer them. He will not be able to show his face to the citizens of the country after the debate," he added.
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