'When PM is flying to England, I've come to you': Rahul to UP farmers

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign trips, saying while the PM was busy flying abroad Congress stood with farmers and labourers. He launched a padayatra to highlight the plight of sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

He also took a dig at Modi's 'achche din' slogan, asking where have those promised good days gone, saying Congress good days will come once farmers, labourers and the poor felt good.

"When Narendra Modi is flying to England, Rahul Gandhi is standing here amongst you in your fields. I want to tell you that we are with you. Congress is standing with you and will die and keep standing with you," he said, addressing the farmers ahead of starting his padayatra.

Gandhi, who was seen standing next to controversial Congress MLA Imran Masood, who was jailed in March last year for his hate speech against Modi, said, "We don't want such an India where the poor, farmers and oppressed are unhappy. We don't want a suit-boot government. We want that India should be of the poor, labourers and small people."

Taking a dig at the prime minister, he said, "When Lok Sabha elections were held a lot of people supported Narendra Modi. He claimed that he will change India. He does not even remember his own slogan of 'achche din ayenge'. When we talk of 'achche din', people laugh across the country. Where are those good days?"

"He travels abroad. Flies to London, Singapore, America, but good days have not come. In India, 'achche din' will only come when farmers, labourers, poor, dalits, tribals will have good days. Only then will good days come for Congress," he said.

Talking about Uttar Pradesh, he asked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to come forward and keep his promise of bringing a change in the state by resolving the issue of pending payments of sugarcane farmers and restarting the sugar mills.

"Akhilesh Yadavji, you claimed to belong to the new generation and promised to change Uttar Pradesh. You still have one-and-a-half years time to change Uttar Pradesh. Go amidst farmers and resolve the sugarcane issue, give money to the farmers, restart the sugar mills and provide jobs to the youth," he said.

The Congress vice president also highlighted how the farmers were not welcome in banks that laid a red carpet for the rich and how the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance waived off Rs 70,000 crore of farmers' loans.

He said the government launched the world's biggest job scheme in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that provided guaranteed jobs to the poor and gave crores of rupees in the hands of the poor.

Image: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during his 'padayatra' for farmers in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Photograph: @INCIndia/ Twitter