NDA trying to snatch away farmers' land to help corporates: Rahul Gandhi

Bargarh: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed the Narendra Modi government saying it was apathetic towards ameliorating the plights of the farmers in the country. Gandhi, who arrived here on two-day visit to the state, began his trip by meeting  the bereaved family members of Sananda Kathar, a local farmer who recently committed suicide due to huge debt-burden.

He later participated in “Save the Farmers” padayatra programme. During his padayatra, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP government, instead of thinking about welfare of the farmers, was worried how to acquire the land of the peasants without paying due compensation and other support to them.

“After Narendra Modi came to power, his sole mission has been to acquire the land of farmers at any cost. He brought the Land Bill, which is completely against the interests of the farmer. The Bill provides for acquisition of farmland even without the consent of farmers. It does not look after the interests of the workforce who are engaged in farmlands. We opposed it and tried to ensure that the rights of the farmers over their lands and the agri-labourers were not usurped,” said the Congress vice president.

Mocking at the “Achhe din aane waale hain” slogan of Narendra Modi during the 2014 elections campaign, Gandhi said after Modi came to power he just thought of acche din (good days) of industrialists, not the poor.

“After he became Prime Minister, Modi ji has been trying to grab lands farmers’ to hand over them to industrialists. You (the Prime Minister) promised Achhe din for all. Now, one and half a year of your rule, people are asking you where is achhe din?” he observed.

The Gandhi scion stated that the Prime Minister’s slogan “Make in India” campaign had just proved to be political gimmick as “he has now embarked upon a faulty policy that will destroy the very fabric of rural economy,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi did not spare the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and criticised him on the same farmer issue.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik share a very good relationship. They act in tandem not only to grab farmlands but also forest and mineral resources to please their industrialist friends. The Congress would not allow them to succeed in their designs,” said Gandhi.

He called upon the farmers to launch agitation against the Centre and the state government to protest their inaction to address their grievances.

During his seven and half-km padayatra from Debahal village to Attabira near here, Rahul Gandhi stopped briefly at three places and addressed the public. At all the three places, he trained his gun at Prime Minister Modi and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan, Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra, former chief minister Hemananda Biswal, former PCC chief Sarat Patnaik and many other senior leaders of the party joined Rahul’s padayatra.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Sishu Bhavan or Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP), Cuttack, where 62 infants have died since August 20.