Modi wants to hand over entire agri biz to his 2 friends: Rahul
JAIPUR: Continuing scathing attack against PM Narendra Modi over the farm laws on the second day of his visit to Rajasthan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the prime minister wants to “hand over” the entire agriculture business to his “two friends”.
Gandhi addressed two farmers’ rallies at Rupangarh in Ajmer and Nagaur. He had addressed farmers’ rallies in Hanumangarh’s Pilibanga and Sri Ganganagar’s Padampur on the first day of his two-day Rajasthan trip on Friday. At the Rupangarh rally, Gandhi said 40 per cent people of the country are stakeholders in the farming business. “It is the business of 40 per cent people, which includes farmers, small and medium businessmen, traders and labourers. Narendra Modi wants to give this entire business to his two friends. This is the objective of the farm laws,” he claimed but did not name anyone.
“Narendra Modi said he is giving options but the options are: hunger, unemployment and suicide,” he alleged. Gandhi, wearing a Rajasthani safa or turban, reached the rally venue driving a tractor with chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra sitting with him.
The former Congress chief spoke on a platform made of two tractor-trailers while the farmers sat or stood on tractor-trailers around the platform.
In another rally at Nagaur, Gandhi said the backbone of the country is being broken, which started with demonetisation.
“Future is being snatched from the youth. In front of your eyes, the backbone of the country is being broken. It began with demonetisation, after which the GST…Gabbar Singh Tax… was brought and small businesses were hit,” Gandhi said.
“Farmers, labourers, traders are being sidelined and the path is being cleared for two-three businessmen. During the coronavirus lockdown, labourers requested the prime minister to give them tickets to go home but he did not yield to it and waived loans of Rs 1.5 lakh crore of the rich,” he alleged.
AICC general secretary Ajay Maken, CM Ashok Gehlot, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot also addressed farmers. Earlier in the day, Gandhi offered prayers at a temple dedicated to folk deity Veer Tejaji in Ajmer’s Sursura village.