Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the farmers contribute the maximum to this initiative and added that the government should help the farming community.
"The Prime Minister talks about 'Make in India'. Who contributes more than the farmers from Punjab in 'Make in India'? The poor contributes to 'Make in India', isn't that 'Make in India'? The Central Government should help out the farmers," Gandhi told the media here.
"Farmers are the back bone of India. Wherever there is injustice towards the farmers, I will go there, listen to their problems and understand their pain," he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Congress vice-president left for Punjab by train to assess the plight of the farmers.
After meeting the farmers of Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab, Gandhi said that the Land Acquisition Bill is meant to snatch the land away from the farmers to benefit the industrialists.
"I do not know what the government is doing, it is being run by the industrialists and those who make this nation have been ignored. That is why I have come here. The law is being made to snatch the land away from farmers, to benefit the industrialists. The land belongs to farmers and will always be with them," he said.
"Farmers of Punjab give their sweat and blood, and food to the nation, and when they need help there is no one to help them. They are not getting the right price, there was hailstorm here and they have not got compensation for that," he added.
The Congress vice-president's visit to Punjab comes at a time when the
farmers in the region have accused the government of tardy wheat
procurement.
