Govt thinks farmers "inferior" to rich businessmen:Rahul in LS

Attacking the Modi government over the "suffering" of farmers, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said it has given them no relief and wondered if it considered them "inferior" to businessmen who have been given concessions and loan waivers running into lakhs of crores.

Union minister Rajnath Singh countered Gandhi's charge in Lok Sabha, as he blamed the long rule of the Congress for the plight of farmers and asserted that no prime minister has done as much for peasants as has Narendra Modi.

Taking up the issue in the Zero Hour, Gandhi in his brief speech mostly focused on Kerala and made specific mention of problems facing farmers in Wayanad, from where he has been elected to Lok Sabha.

No relief has been given to farmers by the government, he said, claiming that businessmen have been granted concessions of Rs 4.3 lakh crores and loan waivers of Rs 5.5 lakh crore.

He asked why the government thinks farmers are "inferior" to rich businessmen.

This is the first time that Gandhi has raised an issue in the 17th Lok Sabha