Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha
The Prime Minister has reneged on public commitment he made to "politics of change, not revenge,"
Rahul Gandhi said in Parliament today, attacking the government over its decision to cancel a proposed food park in his constituency of Amethi.
This is the fourth statement made by the Congress Vice-President in the Lok Sabha since he reappeared after missing eight weeks of a crucial parliament session. Mr Gandhi's sabbatical exposed his party to much criticism and bolstered the perception that he is a reluctant politician; but he has, since his return, shown a new vigor exemplified partly with uncharacteristic participation in parliamentary debates.
Mr Gandhi is a three-time Lok Sabha member from Amethi, a stronghold of the Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh.
"The PM gave a 52-minute speech in Amethi ahead of the national election," Mr Gandhi said. "I was impressed when he said he would deliver politics and policies guided by
badlaav, not
badlaa (change, not vendetta)...but that is exactly what he has done," the 44-year-old charged.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh replied that was incorrect and said he will look into the cancellation of the food park. The planned 200-crore project was expected create thousands of jobs in under-developed Amethi with food processing units for potatoes, sugarcane and more.
When the Congress-led coalition was in power, it had sanctioned a food-processing plant for Amethi; permission for the project has been cancelled by Mr Modi's government, reportedly because of ambiguities involving land clearances.
Mr Gandhi's lobbying for Amethi comes as the government has said it will be developed as a smart city with wi-fi, uninterrupted power supply and good roads, a plan that could win it much credit in an area traditionally loyal to the Gandhis.
Mr Gandhi recently coined the praise "suit-boot ki sarkar" (government for the elite) to target Mr Modi's administration. The Congress, decimated in last year's election, appears somewhat re-energized with a new campaign to discredit the land reforms pitched by the PM as "anti-farmer."