Rahul Gandhi addressing fishermen in Thrissur
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a fishermen's gathering at a village in Kerala's Thrissur. Mr Gandhi is also expected to meet rubber plantation families in Aluva in Cochin this afternoon.
Here are the highlights from his speech in Thrissur:- It is a pleasure for me to come here and meet my brothers and sisters.
- Would like to thanks Congress party and particularly our MLA for organising this function.
- I think I'm going to come back because I was given a very, very good fish lunch today.
- The fish caught by the fishermen tastes better than fish caught by trawlers.
- Land is becoming very valuable and it is owned by farmers, they have spent last 50-60 yrs working on it.
- Central government wants to take their land away. So we are fighting them.
- The kisan (farmer) is asking me why is the NDA government intent on destroying us. Why are they not giving us the correct Minimum Support Price? Why are they not giving us compensation when rain and hail destroys our crops?
- Biggest question for the Kisan (farmer) - 'why are they taking away our land without asking us?'
- Land has become gold in India. NDA wants to give the gold to their friends.
- NDA wants to destroy the law that protects the Kisan (farmer).
- Land is the Kisan's (farmers) mother, the sea is your (fisherman's) mother and they want to take your mother away from you.
- The way they are taking away land (from farmers), the same way they are taking away the sea from the fishermen.
- We are going to stand with you in this fight and not let the government take away the sea from you.