Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi reaches out to farmers, to begin 15-km padyatra against Land Bill today

Amravati: Seven years after his first big public statement on farmers' rights in Vidarbha, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will begin his padyatra against the Narendra Modi government's Land Acquisition Amendment Bill from Gunji village in Amravati district, Maharashtra, on Thursday.

Rahul will walk 15 kilometers through villages in Amarvati district in Vidarbha region which has witnessed the highest number of farmer suicides. Rahul will visit Gunji Village, Dhamangaon railway tehsil, Rajana village and Tonglabad Village.

Rahul had also raised the issue of farmers' distress in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday while taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign trips. He had said, "The Prime Minister who is now on an India tour, should go to Punjab, should visit the Mandis and see ground situation."

Sharpening his attack on the government, Rahul said, "The farmers of Vidarbha are suffering, that's why I am here. The Modi government only worries about corporates and ignores plight of farmers."

Accusing the government of being anti-farmer, anti-poor, Rahul had said, He said, "It is your government, it is our government, but it is not the government of farmers and labourers."

In a bid to reach out to grief-stricken farmers whose lakhs of hectares of crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms, Rahul had earlier addressed Kisan Khet Mazdoor rally and lead party's fight against the Land Bill in Parliament.

Rahul will discuss with farmers and families of those who committed suicide about the agrarian crisis and also ways to help them tide over the problem.

The Bharatiya Janata party hit out at Rahul's padyatra, calling it a 'distress tourism'.

Defending Rahul's padyatra, Congress MP Ashok Chavan said, "This is not distress tourism. This is a serious issue. The number of farmer suicides in this country has increased. Congress took several steps when in power."

The 'padyatra' is part of Rahul's programme to reach out to the farmers in distress in various states. Maharashtra is one of the states that has experienced severe agrarian crisis, and Amravati division in Vidarbha has witnessed many farmer suicides this year.