New Delhi: A day after addressing Kisan rally in the national capital, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was back in action in Parliament on Monday where he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Land Bill and slammed NDA government for being pro-rich.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha in a discussion on agrarian situation, Rahul kept accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of working for the corporates and even had certain suggestions for PM Modi.
He started with Modi's often used phrase during campaigning for the 2014 General Elections saying, “The achche din government has failed the people on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and agriculture credit. They have raised the MSP of wheat by Rs 10 only,” and added, “During UPA government, agricultural growth rate was 4.2 percent while during 'India Shining' government it was just 2.6 percent.”
“Green revolution happened because farmers were given abundant credit and were given an MSP to sell his crop,” he emphasised.
Rahul slammed the BJP for being pro-rich, “Your government is a government of the rich and the corporates. It is the government of the 'suit and boot'.”
This was an apparent reference to PM Modi's expensive suit with his name engraved that he had worn during the visit of US President Barack Obama in January.
Then, as the BJP members protested, Rahul said, "The talk about suit is over. You auctioned it. I will not speak about it now. Happy?"
The Congress vice president advised the PM that he should start worrying about the multitudes of the poor in the country.
“I have a suggestion for the PM. He should switch sides. The strength of the country is in the hands of the farmers,” Rahul said, adding, “If you believe that those corporates who drive in swanky cars are India's foundation you are gravely mistaken.”
Adding to the above dig, the Congress leader said, “The PM knows political calculations. He has won the elections. I have a question in mind. If PM understands political compulsions then why does he want to anger more than 67 percent of the people: Only one answer comes to my mind and that is - the land price is increasing at a fast rate and your corporate friends (BJP's) want that land. That is why you are weakening the farmers and then you will hit them with the ordinance axe.”
In another dig at the BJP-led government, the Congress VP said that Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari was the only person in the ruling party who speaks his heart.
"He (Gadkari) had said farmers should not depend on God or the government,", he pointed, adding that it was “talk from the heart”.
There was uproar in the Lower House when Rahul was speaking but he kept talking amidst the din telling the BJP MPs, “You know it is the truth and that is why you are shouting so much.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu had to intervene when Rahul was making his speech saying that everybody had the democratic right to speak in the House.
Later, while leaving the Parliament Rahul was asked by mediapersons present there about the clarifications given on the Land Bill by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Naidu.
Rahul dismissed it by saying that the government cannot give satisfactory replies to the problems of farmers and labourers.
“The government is not able to feel the pain of the farmers,” he stated.
The Congress has upped the ante in recent times over the Land Acquisition Bill, vowing to take the fight to the streets.
As part of its plan to corner the BJP, the grand old party had launched an all-out attack on the Modi government yesterday at the Kisan rally which was addressed by Rahul, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh amongst others.
Notably, Rahul recently returned from a 56-day long 'leave of absence' with speculations rife about his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the government today laid a copy of Land Acquisition Ordinance in the Parliament, resulting a walkout by the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.
As soon as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy laid a copy of the Ordinance, re-promulgated by the President on April 3 on the table of the House, there was pandemonium.
Agitated members of Congress, Left, TMC, SP, RJD and others stormed the Well raising slogans like "withdraw the bill" and "down with the anti-farmer government". They termed the re-promulgation of the ordinance as "murder of democracy", as per PTI.
The continuous din forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for one-and-a-half hours at around 12.30 PM.
The fresh ordinance, which is the 11th by the Narendra Modi government, incorporates nine amendments that were part of the bill passed in Lok Sabha last month.
On the other hand, the Congress today gave clear indications that it expects the government to send the Land Bill to the Standing Committee of Parliament.
"Whatever bills come newly we want those bills should be sent to Standing Committee," Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The bill will be taken up in the Lok Sabha towards the end of Budget Session, which concludes on May 8, the government said.
(With Agency inputs)
