How much does he know, when will he know? Arun Jaitley fact checks Rahul Gandhi's Mandsaur speech

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over his speech in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur, and asked how much does the Congress chief know.

Jaitley also fact-checked Rahul's speech and asked if he is being inadequately briefed.

Addressing a rally at Pipliya Mandi in Mandsaur district where six farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on this day last year, Rahul Gandhi virtually kicked off his party's campaign for the Assembly elections due towards the end of the year.

"In the entire county, farmers are demanding their rights, yelling and committing suicides, but the Modi government and BJP government in the states have little space for them," the Congress chief said.

He also said the central NDA government has waived Rs 2.5 lakh crore of 15 industrialists but not even one rupee has been waived for the farmers by the union government or the BJP-led state governments.

However, reacting to Gandhi's speech, In a Facebook post, Arun Jaitley asked, "Every time I listen to the view of Shri Rahul Gandhi, both inside and outside Parliament, I ask myself the same question – How much does he know? When will he know?."

Stating that listening to his speech delivered in Madhya Pradesh today reaffirms his curiosity about the answer, Jaitley asked, "Is he being inadequately briefed or is he being a little too liberal with his facts."

Here is how Arun Jaitley countered Rahul Gandhi's speech.

1). He accused Prime Minister Modi of waiving of the loans of Rs.2.5 lakh crores of the 15 top industrialists in the country. - Factually this is completely false. 

The Government has not waived of a single rupee due from any industrialist. The facts are to the contrary. Those who owed money to the banks and other creditors have been declared insolvent and removed from their companies by IBC enacted by Prime Minister Modi’s Government. These loans were given largely during the UPA Government.

2). Loans are not available to the kisans but only to the industrialists- Factually false. 

This was during the UPA Government, particularly UPA II, when bulk of amount constitute the NPA’s today were given by the banking system during the period 2008-14. From 2014 we have been systematically taking one step after the other to recover these monies back.

3). Prime Minister has given Rs.35000 crores each to two diamond jewellers who have now escaped out of country – factually false.

This banking fraud started in the year 2011 when the UPA II was in power. It was only detected during the NDA period.

4). If the Congress comes to power mobile phones, which are made in China, will now be manufactured in India - a case of inadequate knowledge. 

In the year 2014 when UPA went out of power, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing units in India. In 2018, with the result of our electronics policy and the incentives in a four year period, this has increased to 120 units with an investment of Rs.1,32,000 crores.

5). Jobs not being created in India

The latest GDP date has reemphasised India as the fastest growing economy in the world. There is a double digit growth in construction, expansion in manufacturing, an increased capital formation which indicates investment increase, large investment in physical infrastructure and increased investment in rural India. All these are job creating sectors.

6). We will connect farms and villages to the cities – His impression is of the Digvijay Singh era in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh had the worst set of roads in India when the Congress was voted out in 2003. Poor quality roads was one key reason for ousting the Congress. Thanks to Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Modi who during the NDA Government, has tripled the investment in rural roads, in comparison to what the UPA spent, there is a revolution in the Gram Sadak Yojana.