Rahul Gandhi uses farmers to slam PM Modi

New Delhi: After the drubbing in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi made his first political visit. The occasion was a protest by farmers from Tamil Nadu at Jantar Mantar. Mr Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “disrespecting” drought-hit farmers by not initiating talks with them over their demands for a relief package.

He accused the Central government of being “anti-poor and anti-farmer” which only panders to the demands of a select group of industrialists. The farmers’ protest in New Delhi entered the 18th day on Friday.

Mr Gandhi also met the protester’s leader, P. Ayyakkannu, and took note of all their demands. He said the Congress will “fight for them (farmers)” and raise their grievances “in Tamil Nadu as well as in Delhi and Parliament”.

“Over the last three years, debt worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore of 50 industrialists have been written off,” Mr Gandhi said. “Why is the same not being done for farmers? It is the Prime Minister’s responsibility to do so,” he added.

“The farmers have been sitting here for so long. But neither the government nor the Prime Minister is listening to them. The people and farmers of Tamil Nadu deserve to be heard by the Prime Minister, who is disrespecting them by not initiating any dialogue,” Mr Gandhi added.