Axing Amethi food park is Modi's vendetta: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing vendetta politics by scrapping a proposed food park in his constituency Amethi.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, however, dismissed the accusation, assuring that there was "no question of revengeful politics".

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi sought to remind Modi of his 2014 election speech in Amethi when he said that "he was not a practitioner of politics of revenge but one of change".

"In this country, promises are important for politicians, specially those made by the prime minister," Gandhi said, telling Modi to remember his campaign promise now that the food park project was being cancelled.

"The food park project has been cancelled. The food park would make a huge difference to the lives of Amethi's farmers... Please don't cancel it," he said.

Gandhi quoted farmers in Amethi as complaining that they sold a kilo of potatoes for Rs.2 but a pack of potato chips, worth only a rupee, cost Rs.10.

Taking a jibe at Modi, he referred to the prime minister's gold-striped suit as he told the treasury benches: "I am not talking about suit but potato."

The home minister however said that "there is no question of revengeful politics."

"I also hail from a farmer's family ... as far as my information (goes), may be the company has refused (to build) it," Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha, adding that he will "personally inform" Gandhi about it.

"We want to develop the country and the ruling party can't do it alone," he added.

Speaking to the media outside the parliament, Gandhi noted that the project must materialise in the interest of farmers and labourers.

"Rajnath ji said that he would look into the issue... But there is nothing hidden in the matter that needs to be looked into. Either the project is approved or it is killed. Anyway, let us give them (the government) some time," he said.

He added the food park was "one of the most important projects" in Amethi and the surrounding districts because it gave farmers the "opportunity... to directly sell their produce and make much better money".

"The prime minster had mentioned he is not going to do 'badle ki rajneeti' (politics of vendetta)... But silently the food park project is killed."