Rahul Gandhi trying to 'revive' himself with 'kisaan padyatra': BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday pulled up Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his 'kisaan padyatra' and said that he is trying to 'revive' himself by projecting himself as party president via his march rather than helping farmers.

"The kind of posturing that Rahul Gandhi is doing today is for the world to see... Rahul Gandhi is trying to revive himself and not the farmers. He is trying to revive himself within the folds of the Congress, where there have been views that he is not fit to become the president of Congress. That is the reason why he is doing this 'padyatra," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI.

Gandhi began his 15-kilometre long 'kisaan padyatra' today from Nirmal in the Adilabad district of Telangana, where he met the families of the farmers who have committed suicide.

He also handed over a cheque worth Rs two lakh to the family of Rajeshwar, a farmer who had committed suicide.

Rahul had earlier raised farmers' issues in the Parliament and also reached out to farmers in Punjab and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

The Gandhi scion is also expected to address the farmers at Koratikal village at the end of his 'padyatra'.

According to reports, over 900 farmers have committed suicide in the state due to the agrarian crisis.