Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi interacts with passengers in a general compartment of the Sachkhand Express as he travels from Delhi to Ambala yesterday.
IANS/Ambala, Haryana
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said yesterday said the land acquisition issue will get bigger.
“It is a central issue. I have said that those (farmers) who provide food to this country, their lands are being snatched from them,” Gandhi said while travelling by train from Delhi to Ambala.
“This is wrong and we will counter this,” he said.
The Congress is opposing the Modi government’s move to bring a fresh law on land acquisition, saying this will allow forcible acquisition of farmers’ land.
Speaking to reporters at various stations along the Delhi-Amritsar railway route while crossing Haryana on board the Sachkhand Express, Gandhi said he was going to Punjab to get a first-hand knowledge of the problems faced by farmers in lifting wheat stocks and the damage suffered by them due to unseasonal rains recently.
“I am just going to see what’s going on there (in Punjab). I am going to the grain market and want to see what is the situation on the ground there.
“I have been told that things are in a bad shape and I want to see things myself.”
Asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party terming his recent activities as a political gimmick, Gandhi retorted: “What do they want? To make everything non-political?”
After alighting from the train in Ambala, Gandhi went to Sirhind and Khanna grain markets in Punjab to meet farmers.
Gandhi was mobbed by party leaders and supporters as he got off the second class general compartment at Ambala station.
Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa and Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar were among those who received him.
The grain market in Khanna, about 50km from here, is considered the biggest in Asia.
Meanwhile, Gandhi will launch a protest against the ruling central and state government during his two-day visit to the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra starting today.
Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said Gandhi will arrive in Nagpur today evening and start a padayatra (foot march) from Amravati tomorrow morning.
“He will launch the Congress’ protest against the land acquisition bill, the problems of the farming community and other major issues during his visit,” Chavan said.
Gandhi will visit villages within a region of around 175km.
The Congress leader will also undertake a 15km-long foot march in Amravati during the trip and is likely to visit the homes of some farmers affected by unseasonal rains, drought and hailstorms.
Chavan said the Amravati Division in the state recorded the highest number of farmers’ suicides - 295 - in the first four months of this year, followed by 215 deaths in Aurangabad Division.
