New Delhi:
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi took a train to Punjab today to visit the state's
mandis or grain markets, where farmers are struggling to sell their produce after the recent unseasonal rains.
"I've been told the condition of farmers is very bad. I want to see that myself," said Mr Gandhi as he boarded the general compartment of the Sachkhand Express at the New Delhi Railway Station, wearing a t-shirt and a stubble. He took a seat near a window on the train and leaned out, promised that his fight against the Narendra Modi government on its proposed land reforms is set to become "much bigger."
"This is a central issue; the land of farmers is taken away from them. This is wrong and I will combat it," the Congress leader said.
On his journey, Mr Gandhi, 44, was photographed chatting with fellow passengers, holding a child in his lap and even autographing the palm of a delighted young woman. The ruling BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy dismissed Mr Gandhi's visit as "political."
"Drama," said Harsimrat Kaur of the Akali Dal, which rules Punjab along with the BJP.
Since his return from a 56-day sabbatical abroad, Mr Gandhi has aggressively attacked the Centre, primarily on the plight of farmers in the country, both in Parliament and outside.
Later this week, he plans to set off on a country-wide
padyatra, or walk, to protest against what he calls the Modi government's "anti-farmer policies."
At a rally in Delhi three days after his return, he drew a 70,000-strong crowd of farmers and vowed to stall the government's land acquisition bill, which makes acquiring land for industrial and key infrastructure projects easier.
The Congress is attempting to rebuild politically after it was demolished by the BJP in last year's national elections. Mr Gandhi's focus on farmers is seen as an attempt to consolidate the support of that 67 per cent of the country's population.