Rahul targets PM, says he visits foreign nations, not farmers

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today said he was visiting foreign countries but not the homes of farmers back home and that he would give "zero out of 10" to the NDA government for dealing with farming community.

On a visit to his lok Sabha constituency Amethi, Gandhi accused the Modi government of engaging in "politics of revenge" by cancelling a mega food park here and vowed to fight to get it back.

"The PM is visiting foreign countries, but he does not go to the houses of farmers and labourers," said Gandhi who met cultivators who have suffered crop loss due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms.

Asked by reporters how he would rate the NDA government's performance during first year in office, the Congress leader said, "If we talk of farmers and labourers, I will give zero out of 10 (to Modi government). (But) if some industrialists and corporate houses are concerned, I will give 10 out of 10."

He was interacting with reporters at Haidergarh in Barabanki district en route to Amethi.

Referring to the cancellation of a mega food park project by the central government in his constituency, Gandhi accused the Modi government of engaging in "politics of revenge" and vowed to fight to get it back.

"The move of BJP-led government has affected farmers and labourers of Amethi and 10 neighbouring districts. The Centre wanted to take revenge from me, but the move has affected farmers.

"Had the food park been set up, it would have changed the fate of farmers. By cancelling it, the Modi government has dealt a blow to farmers. He has snatched it from them and not from me. We will pressure the government to get it back," Gandhi said at Jagdishpur, on the first day of his three-day visit to his lok Sabha constituency.

His visit to Amethi came days after Union Minister Smriti Irani's tour of the Congress pocket borough -- where she had unsuccessfully contested against Gandhi in the last lok Sabha election -- and her charge that he cared more for a business house than for the farmers of Amethi.