Rahul Gandhi addresses farmers in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district during his 10-km long padyatra (Photo courtesy: TV9)
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today launched a direct attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying he
would not let the government take farmers' land easily.
"PM of India under the impression that he can take away the lands of the farmers. Won't let PM take farmers' land easily, PM wants to take special status away from the people of this state," Mr Gandhi said while addressing farmers in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.
The Opposition, led by the Congress, says the NDA government's
Land Bill is "anti-farmer" and pro-corporates." The Modi government is struggling to push the bill through Parliament despite several amendments, with the Congress-led opposition blocking it in the Rajya Sabha or Upper House where the government is in a minority. (
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Mr Gandhi, 45, is in Andhra Pradesh today for a
10-km long 'padyatra' from a village in Anantapur. The padyatra will highlight the issues faced by farmers and women Self-Help Groups.
Mr Gandhi, who has reached out to farmers
during similar visits and foot marches in states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana and more recently Rajasthan, kicked off his padayatra from Obuladevara Cheruvu village, where his grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi had addressed a meeting in 1979.
During the course of his yatra, he would hold interactions in three villages of the district with farmers.
Mr Gandhi will also meet the family of farmer Harinath Reddy, who allegedly committed suicide.
After the 'padyatra', the Congress vice president will go to Puttaparthy and receive representations from people, besides holding interaction with senior Congress leaders.
Mr Gandhi's visit, the first after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, is being seen as an effort to strengthen the party's base in the state after it drew a blank in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held in 2014.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state and YSR Congress, had hit out at Mr Gandhi on Thursday, blaming the Congress for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the "gross injustice" to Seemandhra.