Sonia pleased with Rahul Gandhi's speech, says his comeback was good one

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday expressed pleasure at party vice president Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha where he called the NDA government a 'suit-boot ki sarkaar' and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "pro-industrialist."

Sonia pleased with Rahul Gandhi's speech, says his comeback was good one

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday expressed pleasure at party vice president Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha where he called the NDA government a 'suit-boot ki sarkaar' and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "pro-industrialist."

"I did not hear the full speech of Rahul (in Parliament) but I was told it was good," Sonia told scribes when asked about her son's post-sabbatical speech on the issue of Land Acquisition Bill.

"I was meeting delegation of farmers who had come for the (Kisan) rally. We will continue to raise issues related to farmers," she added.

Rahul Gandhi, in his first appearance in parliament in the budget session after a 56-day sabbatical, said, "He (Modi) will gain politically if he changes his side. You are hurting the farmers and in the coming times they will hurt you,"

The Congress vice president, who was intervening in a debate on the agrarian crisis, accused the NDA government of neglecting farmers and farm labourers.

"The price of land is increasing fast and your corporate friends want this land and you are controlling the farmers, and when he (farmer) becomes weak then you will hit him with your ordinance axe. That is why you are ready to make 60 percent people angry," he said.

He said while the Modi government talked about strengthening the country, it was ignoring the farmers. "How can you talk about strengthening the country...the foundation of the country is the farmer."

As the ruling benches tried to interrupt his speech many times, the Gandhi family scion took them on stoically.

"I am sorry to say that on the matter of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the agricultural credit, the 'acche din' government has failed the country," he said.

"Your prime minister spoke to farmers and said he will look after them. I would like to give a suggestion to him. Why doesn't the prime minister go and see for himself wheat is lying in the market and the government is not buying it...farmers are not being given fertilizers."

Gandhi, who returned from a long holiday abroad, addressed a farmers' rally in the capital on Sunday where he raised similar issues.

Gandhi also accused the Modi government of not presenting right picture before the country on important issues.

Talking about the government's assessment of recent damage to wheat and other crops in the country, the Congress vice president said the prime minister, the agriculture ministry and the Bharatiya Janata Party gave different figures of the affected crops.

The government earlier in the day tabled the land acquisition ordinance in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the opposition. The Congress and Trinamool Congress staged a walkout over the issue.

(With Agency Inputs)

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.