Rahul Gandhi Finds a 'Mini-Modi' to Attack in Telangana

Adilabad: Rahul Gandhi has added another term to the arsenal he uses to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this time calling Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao, or KCR, "mini-Modi" while accusing both of neglecting farmers.

"When there is a hail-storm or unseasonal rains, Modiji doesn't visit the farmers. Here in Telangana, 'mini-Modi' (KCR) doesn't see the farmers' plight," said the Congress vice president, aided by a translator in his address to farmers in drought-struck Telangana.

Mr Gandhi, 44, had recently coined the term "suit-boot ki sarkar" to attack the Modi government on its land reforms, which he alleges are "pro-big industrialists and anti farmers". He has since used it in multiple speeches.  

Today he told the farmers, "I walked only one day in the hot sun. The farmers work every day so we can all eat,''

On Friday morning, Mr Gandhi walked almost 15 km to visit families of farmers who committed suicide in the last one year in the Adilabad district. "Very difficult to keep pace with him. He walks so briskly," said a villager admiringly.

In one village, Bondla Vasantha, whose husband killed himself last year because of debt, told Mr Gandhi that his plan to visit her had spurred the ruling Telangana Rashtriya Samiti or TRS to help her. The overwhelmed young woman fell at the Congress leader's feet.  

Mr Gandhi's team handed each of the five families he met two lakh rupees each.

The Congress says over 900 farmers have killed themselves in Telangana in the last 10 months. But the state government says the number is less than 100 and accuses the previous Congress government of neglecting farmers in the region.

Last year, after ruling undivided Andhra Pradesh for a decade, the Congress lost elections in both the residuary Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Mr Gandhi's visit is also seen as an attempt to re-energise the party's cadres.

His padyatra today drew thousands of enthusiastic Congressmen from across the state.