To grab the initiative in order to accomplish `Mission 2017’, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday took out a `padyatra’ in Saharanpur - the sugar belt of west UP.
While taking out the march in Nakur Assembly constituency, Rahul lambasted PM Narendra Modi asserting that with the PM always on foreign trips, Congress has always stood with farmers and labourers and making efforts to resolve their problem.
The Congress leader led the march to highlight the cane growers' problems and held chaupals and panchayats during his six kilometer long padyatra. He interacted with farmers in Hardakhedi, Sikrikalan and Patni villages.
"When lok Sabha elections were held a lot of people supported Narendra Modi. He assured 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 daysIJ" he questioned. Rahul asserted that the good days will come once farmers, labourers and the poor felt comfortable. "The PM should focus on the woesof the farmers and masses instead of visiting foreign countries," Rahul suggested.
"While PM Modi is flying off to foreign countries, Rahul Gandhi is standing here amongst you in your fields. I want to tell you that Congress is with you and will keep standing with you," he said addressing the farmers.
Rahul said, "We don't want 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."
Talking about UP, Rahul asked CM Akhilesh Yadav to keep up his promise of bringing a change in the state. "He still has about one and a half year left of his government and during the period, UP government should retsrat the closed sugar mills and ensure that the arrears of cane growers are paid," he said.
The Congress vice president also highlighted how the farmers were not welcome in banks that laid a red carpet for the rich in this government and how the Congress-led UPA waived off Rs 70,000 of farmers' loans. Rahul pointed out that the UP government launched the world's biggest job scheme in MNREGA which guaranteed jobs to the poor and empowered them financially.