Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi returned to his constituency after seven months, targeting the BJP government for cancelling the licence of a food park in his constituency.

As the temperature soared to 42 degrees Celsius, Mr. Gandhi undertook a two-km padyatra from Kathaura to the site of the food park in the Jagdishpur industrial area.

Addressing farmers and Congress workers from atop a vehicle, he criticised the Narendra Modi government for indulging in “vendetta politics,” cancelling the licence of the food park to take “revenge on me.” The cancellation harmed the interests of farmers of 10 districts near Amethi. “It would have enabled them to bring their produce directly to the processing units in the food park,” he said.

In fact, he said, the BJP pursued the same policy elsewhere in the country. “Farmers in Punjab, Telangana, Maharashtra and other States are unhappy; this government is not theirs.”
‘Pro-corporate’

If the poor, farmers, labourers and the middle class were asked to give their feedback on the performance of the Narendra Modi government, they would give zero out of 10. “But if a feedback is taken from two or three corporate friends of Modiji, they will give him 10 out of 10. This government is of and for Mr. Modi’s corporate friends.”

His attack on the BJP and the Prime Minister comes after Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani’s visit to Amethi on May 12.

At the start of his three-day visit to his constituency, he was given a reception at Haidergarh, where he was greeted by thousands of party workers and menthol farmers, who urged him to carry on the fight against the BJP. Addressing a roadside meeting at Inhauna Bazar, Mr. Gandhi said the Prime Minister was undertaking foreign tours but had no time to visit the farmers affected by untimely rains and hailstorms. Taking a swipe at achhe din, the NDA government’s catchphrase, Mr. Gandhi wanted to know how many jobs were created for the unemployed. He said the food park in Amethi would have benefitted ‘kisans’ and ‘mazdoors.’ “About 40 food processing units were proposed in the park that would have benefitted the farmers of 8-10 districts adjoining Amethi; but in June 30, 2014, its licence was cancelled by the BJP government.” Later in the day, he addressed a ‘kisan panchayat’ at Jamo and assessed the loss to farmers from unseasonal rains and hailstorms. Here too, he raised the food park issue.

Finally, Mr. Gandhi met members of the District Congress Committee and block presidents at the Munshiganj guesthouse.