Rahul Gandhi begins UP campaign, holds 'khaat sabhas' with farmers

DEORIA: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has kick-started a 2,500-km Kisan Mahayatra in Uttar Pradesh as part of an ambitious campaign to revive his party in Uttar Pradesh.

In his inaugural speech at Deoria town on Tuesday, Gandhi accused the central and state governments of 'ignoring’ farmers’ problems and demanded a loan waiver, better minimum support price for crops and reduction in power tariff.

At the first Khat Sabha — billed as the highlight of the 30-day campaign where farmers would air their views — hundreds of cots were laid out in circles on a large field and on an adjacent elevated stage farmers spoke of their problems. A sizeable, though restive, crowd sat through the event.

"These governments have forgotten farmers and labourers. They have not done anything about your problems and sorrow but we will. They have not done anything nor given any assurance. We neither have a government in UP nor in New Delhi but yet share the sorrow of farmers and labourers and we will fight for you," Gandhi told the meeting.

"I told Modiji to protect farmers because they provide food to the country. There are three ways to do this: The first is to waive off their loans. When our government was there we waived Rs 70,000 crore farm loans. Last year, the Modi government waived off Rs 50,000 crore loans of big industrialists. Why not waive off the loans of farmers? Modiji should waive off loans of farmers of UP and rest of the country," he said.

The event was conceived by Team PK to revive the party’s fortune in UP, where the Congress has been out of power for the last 27 years. '27 Saal Behal' is the slogan coined by Team PK to connect with the masses and highlight the ‘misrule’ of SP, BSP and BJP.

As soon as Gandhi left the first venue, there was a mad scramble to take away the cots. Villagers carried the cots on their heads and on motorcycles. "What use are the cots to the organisers now that the event is over? Let us take it away. We will vote for Congress," said a youth in jest, while whisking away a cot. But the Khat Sabha was managed better at latter venues.