Note ban was for rich to change black money to white: Rahul
Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 28: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation, saying while the exercise forced innocent people to stand in serpentine queues, it helped the corrupt to convert their black money into white.
Addressing a gathering in Baikunthpur town of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leader said: "Note ban was brought with a promise to purge the system of black money... The common man was made to stand in queues across the country. But the fact is that the sole purpose of imposing demonetisation was to facilitate conversion of black money into white."
He also dared the Prime Minister to disclose how much black money returned to the banking system.
Gandhi is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. On Thursday, he visited Chitrakoot -- a religious town associated with Lord Rama -- in Satna district of the state where he offered prayers at the famous Kamta Nath temple.
Speaking at a public meeting in Chitrakoot, he had targeted Modi over the Rafale deal, saying the country's "chowkidar" (watchman) has committed "chori" (theft). He also held a road show while on his way to Rewa from Satna on Thursday night.
Sharpening his attack on Friday, the Congress President said: "As if note ban was not enough, now the government has brought 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST), which has hit the small traders hard, posing a serious threat to their livelihood. The money being collected in the name of GST is being used to fill the pockets of the likes of Anil Ambani."
Gandhi assured that with the return of the Congress party to power in the state, education and healthcare services will be put back on track and the government will work for every section of the society.
"Farmers' loans will be waived at the earliest and the youth with be provided jobs," he added.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
