Rahul Gandhi today led the opposition attack in the Lok Sabha on the government over the problems being faced by farmers, saying it had "failed" them and specifically targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over it.
In his first speech in the Budget Session, the Congress Vice President said the government was "ignoring" the farming community and favouring the industrialists and rich people, which was a "blunder" as the farmers will 'harm" BJP in future.
"The acche din government has failed the country" on the issue of farmers, he said while participating in a short duration discussion on 'The Agrarian Situation in the Country'.
He said farmers are responsible for laying the "foundation" for whatever the country has achieved but they are being ignored by the government.
Taking digs at the Prime Minister, he said Modi "should switch over to the side of farmers and labourers from that of high and mighty and industrialists" as it will benefit BJP politically and harm Congress.
"I will offer an advice to the Prime Minister. He will gain politically if he changes sides as farmers are over 67 per cent of population. You are making a blunder by harming farmers and labourers and they will harm you in future. If you switch over to their side it will help you and may harm us," he said.
Rahul, who was absent in the House during the first part of the Budget session as he was away, said he has been wondering over the Prime Minister's policies, which were "affecting" farmers, since Modi knows the "political calculations" and has just won the elections.
"Then it occurred to me that the price of farmers' land has been rising and your corporate friends covet these lands. You are weakening the farmers now and then use this axe of land ordinance to hit them," he said, charging that the government wanted to acquire land to help industrialists.
