NEW DELHI, Apr 18:
Making his first public appearance after his nearly two-month long absence, Rahul Gandhi today declared that he will oppose tooth and nail the Land Acquisition Bill and make the Government heed to the demands for its withdrawal.
Holding two interactive sessions with farmers and their representatives from various states at his residence a day before the party’s Kisan rally here, the Congress Vice President told them that he and his party will fight a “decisive battle” on farmers’ issues including the NDA’s Land Acquisition Bill, according to party leaders.
Farmer leaders said that Gandhi asked them what were their views on the new land law brought by the Modi Government, how much damage has happened to their crop due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm recently and what is the rate at which the Government is purchasing their produce.
Some of the farmers, who took part in the first 50-minutes interaction with him, rued that people who had no understanding of grassroot issues and knowledge of agriculture are engaged in drafting policies for them, be it the present BJP-led Government or the earlier Congress-led Government at the Centre.
Sources in the party said that Rahul has decided to speak in entirety on the issue at the Kisan rally tomorrow and he could also intervene on it in Lok Sabha as the second part of the Budget session begins on Monday.
During the interaction, some old farmers from Bhiwani in Haryana addressed him as “Chaudhury Rahul ji”, as they tried to attract his attention in the crowd.
There were also some complaints that the Kisan Rally is being organized at a time when the harvesting season is on but party’s communication department in-charge Randeep Surjewala downplayed the issue, saying there is no season for raising farmers’ issues.
“Rahul told farmers that he will fight a decisive battle on the issues facing them. He said that Congress will not let this fight be over in a day, a month or an year. He said that he will force the Government to bow down before the farmers and he will take the fight to a logical conclusion,” party leaders said. (PTI)
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