NCP backs Rahul Gandhi, raises question on Land Acquisition Bill

Nationalist Congress Party leader Majeed Memon on Wednesday appreciated Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's gesture to meet the farmers in Punjab, saying it is necessary to know the ground reality rather than speaking in the air and trying to just push through the Land Acquisition Bill.

"It must be appreciated because any important leader visiting the areas where the farmers are most affected like Punjab, Maharashtra and other states where even number of suicides are reported from," said Memon.

"I think we should appreciate that because it is necessary to know the ground reality by approaching the farmers and the relatives of those who have lost their lives in suicide and coming out with the data so that we are closer to truth rather than speaking in the air and trying to just push through the Land Acquisition Bill which in fact and in reality may not be in the best interest of poor farmers," he added.

The Congress vice-president, who had recently attacked the government and alleging that it was ignoring the farming community and favouring the industrialists and rich people, yesterday took his campaign against the BJP-led NDA Government's Land Acquisition Bill to Punjab.

The Amethi MP met several farmers of the state and listened to their plight.

Earlier in the day, the Congress vice-president took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign.

Speaking to the media in Chandigarh, Gandhi said the farmers contribute the maximum to the 'Make in India' initiative and added that the government should help the farming community.

"The Prime Minister talks about 'Make in India'. Who contributes more than the farmers from Punjab in 'Make in India'? The poor contributes to 'Make in India', isn't that 'Make in India'? The Central Government should help the farmers," Gandhi said.

"Farmers are the back bone of India. Wherever there is injustice towards the farmers, I will go there, listen to their problems and understand their pain," he added.

After meeting the farmers of Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab yesterday, Gandhi had said that the Land Acquisition Bill is meant to snatch the land away from the farmers to benefit the industrialists.

"I do not know what the government is doing, it is being run by the industrialists and those who make this nation have been ignored. That is why I have come here. The law is being made to snatch the land away from farmers, to benefit the industrialists. The land belongs to farmers and will always be with them," he said.

"Farmers of Punjab give their sweat and blood, and food to the nation, and when they need help there is no one to help them. They are not getting the right price, there was hailstorm here and they have not got compensation for that," he added.

The Congress vice-president's visit to Punjab comes at a time when the farmers in the region have accused the government of tardy wheat procurement.