Continuing with his offensive against the Government following his sabbatical, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday again attacked the Modi Government in the lok Sabha over the scrapping of a mega food park project in his constituency of Amethi, accusing the Prime Minister of practicing politics of revenge and not “politics of change” which he had promised.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured him of looking into the matter but not before pointing out that it was the company behind the mega food park which had pulled out. He also took on Rahul over his limited knowledge about farmers and potatoes.
Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Rahul said he had “liked” Modi’s promise in Amethi during the poll campaign that he did not believe in the politics of revenge and was there to practice politics of change. He quoted Modi saying, “Badle ki rajniti nahin, badlao ki rajniti”.
“Politicians offer promises to people and the one made by the Prime Minister is the biggest... What he is doing is politics of revenge,” he said. The Congress MP charged the Centre with scrapping the project in his constituency which would have benefited farmers in 10 districts. Backing their leader, the Congress members protested shouting ‘shame, shame’.
Rahul said when he visited a village farmers asked him why there was so much of price difference between raw potato they grow and the one sold in a packet in the market. “They asked me what is this magic that they sell potato for Rs2 per kg but a packet of chips having not more than one potato’s content sells for Rs10IJ They said if they could sell potatoes directly to factories, then they would benefit more,” the Congress leader said.
At this point treasury benches started shouting which led the Congress leader to counter saying that the BJP members should not be so scared. “Suit ki baat nahin kar rahan hoon.. aloo ki,” he said.
Responding to Rahul’s charge, the Home Minister assured him that he would look into the matter and inform him, insisting that the Centre believed in taking all parties along for he country’s development. Singh said as far as he knew, it was the company behind the mega food park at Amethi which pulled out. The Minister said he was born to a family of farmers and the Congress leader’s knowledge was “limited” as one potato’s content cost up to Rs70 in a chips packet.
As a practice, the Government does not respond to issues raised by members during Zero Hour. An exception was made by Home Minister when he replied to the issue raised by the Congress MP.
SMRITI, HARSIMRAT trash Congress v-p’s charge
New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani hit out at Rahul Gandhi saying he had ignored the food park. “The food park was announced in 2010, when the Congress Government was there (at the Centre). Eight extensions were sought for the project as it was not considered viable. But did the MP take even 8 steps to make the project a realityIJ” Irani asked without naming him. Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal said the project had become unviable after the previous UPA Government refused supply of subsidised gas. In a letter to the Home Minister, she said the promoter of the food park has submitted before the Mega Food Park review meeting that without supply of gas to the project at APM/concessional rates by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the project would not be viable.