The Gandhi scion, braving heavy rains since morning, wasted no time in attacking the Mayawati government once he took the stage at the maidan in Aligarh .
It was not just the rains that played spoilsport at Rahul Gandhi’s kisan mahapanchayat at Aligarh, it was also the case of poor turnout with more party workers than farmers. However, his four day padyatra seems to have given the beleaguered UP Congress a ‘hope of revival’.
The Gandhi scion, who reached the city, braving heavy rains since morning, wasted no time in attacking the Mayawati government once he took the stage at the Numaish maidan in Aligarh.
Referring to police firing at farmers in Bhatta Parsaul, the Congress general secretary attacked the BSP-led Uttar Pradesh government, stating that farmers in the state faced bullets for demanding legitimate prices of their lands.
“Land is being taken from farmers to build colonies, golf courses, racing tracks…. If a rich man in Lucknow or Delhi wants to sell their land, they get the market price but farmers in UP are fired at... that is why they are angry,” said Rahul Gandhi during speech that lasted less than 15 minutes.
During his four-day padyatra, the Gandhi scion said, he realised that UP farmers are not against roads or development but just wanted a proper price for their land.
Drawing comparisons between the Congress-led Haryana government and the UP government, he said while the former talks to farmers before taking land and gives them the right price, the latter never negotiated with the farmers. Farmers in UP come to know that their land has been taken only when builders arrive to take control, Rahul said. The government is working to bring a new land acquisition act in the Lok Sabha.
He added he would never forget this experience. In what could be a dig at politicians and officers making policies for people sitting in Delhi, he said “farmers in UP have great knowledge…. People in Delhi, including big officers, are less informed. What I have acquired from you here, I could never have sitting in the national capital,” he claimed. The 70-km foot march saw the Congress leader spanning nearly 100 km in hot and sultry weather conditions.
Party leaders were in full attendance at the mahapanchayat. Senior Congress leaders, including Salman Khurshid and Saleem Sherwani, Union ministers Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasad and UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi were among those present.
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