Agencies
AMETHI, MAY 18
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is visiting his Amethi parliamentary constituency, on Monday took at dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his foreign visits. Rahul, who is in Amethi to protest the cancellation of a mega food park here, said the Prime Minister has been travelling around the world but has not found time to visit the home of even one farmer who has committed suicide.
“His (PM's) right is to go abroad and his duty is to go the houses of farmers,” he said. “This is a government for industrialists and not for you. This BJP government has hurt farmers and labourers badly,” Rahul said further.
The Congress vice president said he would give the NDA dispensation "zero out of 10" for its handling of issues involving farmers and labourers.
“People asked what marks would you give to the government. I said, farmers will give zero; two to three corporate friends of Modi will give 10/10,” Rahul said.
People asked what marks would you give to Govt-I said,Farmers will give Zero,2-3 Corp Friends of Modi will give 10/10 pic.twitter.com/clhjSlDjqU
— INC India (@INCIndia) May 18, 2015
He accused the Modi government of taking away opportunities from farmers.
The food park would have changed the face of Amethi and would have benefited farmers. However, the same has been taken away from them, the Congress MP said in Jagdishpur, adding he will fight for it and will try to get it back.
"The move of BJP-led government has affected farmers and labourers of Amethi and 10 neighbouring districts. The Centre wanted to take revenge from me, but the move has affected farmers. Had the food park been set up, it would have changed the fate of farmers. By cancelling it, the Modi government has dealt a blow to farmers. He has snatched it from them and not from me. We will pressure the government to get it back," he stated.
“BJP is trying to take revenge from me. We will not accept it. We will keep fighting,” Rahul added.
“Modi ji had promised before elections that 'acche din' would come. Have 'acche din' really come?,” he asked while addressing farmers in Munshiganj.
Rahul's visit comes at a time when he has been accused by the BJP of neglecting his constituency.
HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who had visited Amethi just days ago, had accused the Congress vice president of misleading the people of his constituency as well as Parliament over the food park issue. Rahul will be in Amethi from May 18 to 20. He will address a public meeting in Kasara village tomorrow.
According to state Congress general secretary Rajiv Singh, Rahul will also inaugurate a number of projects completed from his MP fund including marriage houses, solar water pumps and some roads.
During the visit, he will also go to villages and meet dependents of farmers, who have lost their lives after suffering damage to their crops due to untimely rains and hailstorms.
