 "Rahul Gandhi")
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said his party would now take the fight against the land acquisition Bill to states “to ensure that no state Assemblies enact any anti-farmer legislation”. He said the Congress had forced the Narendra Modi government to withdraw the Bill.
Addressing the party’s Kisan Samman Rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, he said, “It’s not Make in India, it’s Take in India.” He said Modi wanted to take away farmers’ land and gift it to his “corporate friends”. Rahul claimed that in Modi’s development paradigm, there was no place for farmers and labourers.
Addressing the gathering, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, “Congress is not an obstacle to development. But if (the Modi government) violates the rights of farmers and labourers, Congress would fight for them.” The party would also take up pro-farmer issues such as higher minimum support price for crops, farm loan waiver and measures to relieve farm sector distress.
Ever since the rout in the general elections and a series of setbacks, the land Bill victory is the only notable success for the Congress. The Congress is “celebrating” the issue to the hilt. The Congress gave all the credit for the success to Rahul Gandhi.
Significantly, the rally which took place a day after Rahul Gandhi flagged off the Congress’ Bihar poll campaign, also had several mentions of Bihar and its predominantly agriculture economy.
In a 21-minute speech, replete with anecdotes, a much at-ease Rahul Gandhi told the gathering that “the Prime Minister speaks with a forked tongue”. “While he has scrapped the land Bill, he has at the same time given states the freedom to enact their own land laws; so the Congress has to be vigilant.” Adding, “The fight on land Bill is not limited to Parliament but has to be fought even in state Assemblies.”
Rejecting the “false” claims by the Central government, Rahul Gandhi said, “It's not true that many projects are being stalled due to land acquisition issues, only eight per cent of the projects are stalled due to acquisition-related issues.”
Repeating his “suit-boot” diatribe against Modi, Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister has little connect with the masses, and preferred to speak to them through a distant radio address “Mann ki baat”.
Predictably, Rahul Gandhi was trolled on Twitter by “Modi bhakts”. Senior BJP leader and Cabinet minister Venkiah Naidu lambasted Gandhi Junior in Hyderabad, for speaking poorly about the Prime Minister.
Attacking the Prime Minister for “bhashaan baazi” , Sonia Gandhi said Modi doesn’t have time or interest for farmers. "He has time to provide Rs 40,000 crore tax benefit to industrialists. Yes, he has also the interest, time and money for foreign trips.”
"If development means benefiting a few persons, we will definitely act as a roadblock in such development," she said.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh alerted Congressmen about the NDA’s strategy of renaming and diluting social welfare sector schemes of the previous government.
