Rahul Gandhi takes train to Punjab, meets farmers in mandi

Sirhind: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took his fight against the contentious land acquisition bill to Punjab as he travelled by train to the grain bowl of the NDA-ruled state and met farmers to see their condition "with my own eyes".

Dressed in a brown tee and jeans and sporting a stubble, the Congress Vice President reached Ambala in Haryana bordering Punjab this evening sitting in a general compartment of the Sachkhand express before he drove down to the local Anaj Mandi in Fategarh Sahib district.

"I have been told that the situation is very bad. So I want to see it with my own eyes.

"I am going to Punjab. I had also stated in my speech (in Parliament) that those who provide grains to the country, food to the country, from them their land is being snatched. This is wrong and we will counter it," Gandhi told reporters from his window seat earlier at the New Delhi Railway station from where he boarded the train.

Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Shakeel Ahmed, who is AICC in-charge of Punjab, accompanied Gandhi.

Asked to respond to the criticism that his visit to Punjab was a "drama" and was political, Gandhi shot back," What do they want to make everything non-political?"

Gandhi is scheduled to visit Khanna and Gobindgarh and will take stock of the situation in the state's grain markets where farmers are finding it difficult to sell their produce after the recent unseasonal rains.

Khanna grain market is considered one of the largest grain markets in Asia.

The visit came at a time when farmers in the region have accused the government of tardy wheat procurement. The state has also been witnessed suicides by farmers.

Punjab Congress leaders including state unit President Partap Singh Bajwa, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and leader of opposition in state assembly Sunil Jakhar were present during Gandhi's interaction with the farmers. Amritsar MP and Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh was not present.

One of the farmers Surjit Singh Dadu, who hailed from Majjra village, told Gandhi that the condition of farmers in the state was very bad.

"Nobody is procuring the produce and I have a debt of Rs 13.5 lakh. No money has been paid by any agency during the past 28 days," the farmer told the Congress Vice President.

The interaction with the farmers and labourers took place along the wheat stacks kept at the Mandi.

Union Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur dubbed Gandhi's visit to the mandi as a "drama".

The visit to Punjab is a precursor to the Kisan Padyatra that Gandhi will undertake next month to reach out to farmers against the backdrop of the agrarian crisis.

At Sirhind Mandi, Gandhi spent about 30 minutes but did not interact with the media.

Farmer Surjit quoted Gandhi as having said,"I am here to listen to the problems." Surjit said that Gandhi assured the farmers that he was always with them and will always take care of them.

Some other farmers, including Swaran Lal, said that Gandhi told them that he had heard their grievances, "kept them in his heart and will fight for the cause."

Later, Gandhi visited two other grain markets -- Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna - which is Asia's biggest grain market.

When Gandhi reached Mandi Gobindgarh it was drizzling. He interacted with the farmers to get first hand information about the problems being faced by them.

Farmers said that Gandhi told them that he would ascertain as to why Food Corporation of India was not procuring wheat in the Mandis in the state.

Farmers protested against the Centre and SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab when Gandhi arrived at Khanna Mandi in his last stop of the evening.

Gandhi joined the protesting farmers and climbed on to his vehicle's door and told them that there is no government worth its name and the condition of the farmers was turning into worse.

The Congress leader told the farmers that he had come to listen to them and get first hand information about the problem being faced by them due to non-procurement of their wheat.

He said that the land of the farmers is being forcibly acquired without any proper compensation being paid in order to benefit 2-3 industrialists whom he did not identify.

Some farmers at Khanna Mandi were dejected as they could not properly interact with Gandhi due to presence of security personnel and media persons and an equally number of state Congress leaders.

The Congress, who workers were carrying flex boards of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Kumari Selja, raised slogans in favour of Rahul.

Congress sources said that Gandhi is scheduled to spend the night at Khanna.

A large number of local Congress leader including former MLA Nirmal Singh and senior congress leaders Bittu Chawla welcomed Rahul Gandhi at Ambala Cantt railway station.

Meanwhile, Union Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat

Kaur has dubbed Gandhi's visit to a mandi as a "drama".

Congress has been alleging that the Punjab government is not purchasing the produce of farmers adequately.

Gandhi had recently attacked the government, alleging that it was "ignoring" the farming community and favouring the industrialists and rich people.

He has also accused the government of giving out contradictory figures about the damages suffered by farmers during the recent unseasonal rains.

Gandhi, who was absent in the first half of the Budget session, owing to his 56-day leave, has been raising issues related to farmers and youths since he resumed party work.

The Congress Vice President also plans to undertake a padyatra from either Vidarbha in Maharashtra or the Telangana region, from the first week of May to connect with farmers.

Gandhi's aggressive approach on farmers' issues is being seen as an exercise to connect the party with grassroots at a time when it faces an uphill task of revival after its worst-ever debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in which its tally came down to a drastic 44 from 206 it had got in the 2009 general elections.

The party sees the momentum generated by opposition protests to NDA's land bill and the agrarian crisis as an opportunity to broaden its base among the farming communities.

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