Don't make an issue out of Rahul Gandhi's absence: Sriprakash Jaiswal

KANPUR: Senior Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal today asked the media not to create an issue out of Rahul Gandhi's absence and said the party vice-president is likely to address the April 19 Farmers' Rally in Delhi.

"Please do not make an issue over the absence of Rahul Gandhi. If he has gone somewhere it is to ponder over the betterment of the country and Congress," Jaiswal said at a press conference here today.

The former Union Minister said Gandhi "might also attend the (farmers') rally as the Land Act brought in by the previous UPA government was his dream project for which he worked tirelessly."

Gandhi, who is on a sabbatical for the past one-and-a-half months, is likely to address the rally at Ram Lila Maidan on the eve of the second phase of Budget Session of Parliament.

Saying that last year when the Congress brought in the Land Bill all parties gave their assent to it, Jaiswal asked why was it necessitated to amend the legislation within a year. " BJP wanted to change the UPA's Land Act to fulfil the promises they made to the industrialists during Lok Sabha polls," the former Kanpur MP alleged, adding, "The saffron party is insensitive to the cause of farmers."

Asked whether it was the right time to organise the rally when farmers were suffering from crop loss due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm, Jaiswal said if BJP can stall the Bill by six months, they can also put the rally on hold.

Commenting on distribution of cheques of meagre amount to UP farmers, Jaiswal said the Akhilesh Yadav-led government is mounting the farmers' plight by not providing enough compensation.