Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s attack on young Gandhi scion on the conditions of farmers in Amethi when he spoke against the Punjab Government in the Parliament on Wednesday, has not gone down well with the State party leaders. Punjab Congress leaders have lambasted Badal bahu for criticising Rahul for his State visit. Reacting to her outburst against Rahul in Parliament, Congress Deputy leader in lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh suggested Bathinda MP to better pose her questions on farmers’ plight to her father-in-law and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal instead of criticising Rahul Gandhi.

“Her frustration is understandable as her party’s Government has completely failed the farmers and the anger is spilling on roads and she has no option but to try to defend the indefensible,” said Capt Amarinder. He said that instead of appreciating Rahul Gandhi for his visit to Punjab to highlight farmers’ woes, she has been unnecessarily critical of him apparently to appease the BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular as he was not giving time to Badal.

Castigating Harsimrat for not taking any interest in the misery of beleaguered farmers, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said that she, on the contrary, trying counter the pro-farmer voice vociferously being raised by Rahul Gandhi. “When the farmers are suffering from hailstorm and rain, Modi was conveniently taking foreign jaunts and his Government was sleeping…Harsimrat has made a mockery of the farmers’ misery by taking an imprudent stand in the Parliament,” he said. Instead of waking up the Modi and Badal Government from the deep slumber, she was trying to gain political brownie points. Being food processing Minister, what has she done for Punjab’s agri sector so far, he questioned.