Rahul Gandhi's padyatra in Telangana: As it happened

Hyderabad: As Rahul Gandhi kicked off his padyatra in Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the BJP slammed alleged attempts to politicise the farmers' issue and turn his visit into a "grand celebration." Here are the live updates:

• The Congress leader takes on Modi government over the new land bill, says when the NDA came to power, they removed the three clauses.
• The land bill passed during Congress-led regime said that if land is acquired, then there should be a social audit to assess the impact on all those affected, Rahul asserts.
• In our law farmers permission had to be taken before acquiring land, Rahul exhorts.
• The previous UPA II regime brought in a new Land Acquisition Bill so that your families benefit from the increase in prices of land, Rahul tells farmers.
• The Congress party always helped the distressed farmers, Rahul asserts.
• ​Rahul says, Congress govt waived farm loans of Rs 70,000 crores and We increased agriculture credit to farmers by 700 percent.
• Rahul addresses a public meet in Adiabad, says Congress helped farmers whenever they were in trouble.
• The Congres vice president concludes his 15 km padyatra. 
  

  15kms Padyatra covering 5 villages concludes.Rahul Gandhi to address farmers shortly #RGVisitsTelangana pic.twitter.com/GZxs41viFn

  — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 15, 2015

• BJP leader Sambit Patra takes pot shots at the Gnadhi scion, says Rahul isn't trying to revive the farmers, but is trying to revive himself. 
• He also meets the family of another farmer, who allegedly committed suicide and gave his wife a cheque of Rs lakh.
  The Amethi MP hands over a cheque worth Rs 2 lakhs to family of Velma ​Rajeshwar, a farmer, who committed suicide.
• Rahul meets family members of affected farmers in Koratikal village.
  

  Meeting family members of affected farmers in Koratikal village pic.twitter.com/VXf8sFVP3m

  — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 15, 2015

• The Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi begins padyatra.
• Rahul Gandhi leaves his hotel in Nirmal (Telangana) to start his padyatra.
• Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi says, "This 'padyatra' is very important for the people of Telangana. The farmers, the workers and the party workers are extremely motivated to see Rahul. A lot of people have gathered here and we feel that today would be an important day. We will raise the issue and I hope that the Central government and the state government pay attention to this crisis."
• As per reports, Rahul will begin his padyatra at 7:30 am.
• Rahul is spending the night in Adilabad, senior Congress leader and former minister D Sridhar Babu said.
• Rahul skipped Hyderabad and arrived at Nirmal in Adilabad directly from Nanded in Maharashtra. He was earlier scheduled to arrive in the state capital and interact with students of Osmania University and party workers at the airport.
• Telangana opposition parties Congress, TDP and BJP too have alleged that hundreds of farmers committed suicide due to agrarian crisis since the TRS government came to power last year, a charge denied by the administration.
• As many as 936 farmers have committed suicide in the state during recent times, the state Congress said.
• The Congress leader will also address farmers at Koratikal village at the end of his 15-kilometre-long padyatra.
• During his foot march, Rahul will meet the families of farmers who have allegedly committed suicide due to agrarian distress in Telangana.
• Rahul is visiting Telangana for the first time since it was carved out from Andhra Pradesh on June 2 last year.
• The Congress vice president had attacked the Modi government on Land Bill issue in Parliament and also reached out to farmers in Punjab and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in recent weeks.
• The aim of the padyatra is to highlight the issues of farmers over which Rahul has aggressively taken on Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
• Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will on Friday morning embark on a 15-kilometre-long ‘padyatra’ (foot march) in Telangana’s Adilabad district.