Rahul attacks Modi over land bill

New Delhi, April 19 , 2015: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of seeking to "return the debt of industrialists by giving them land of farmers", and said the Congress was firmly with the poor and farmers and will stand with them if there is any attempt to snatch their land. Addressing the "Kisan Khet Mazdoor rally" here -- his first major public event since his return from nearly a two-month-long leave of absence, Gandhi repeatedly attacked Modi and the NDA government and pitched the Congress as the party which will always stand by the farmers and the poor and fight for their interests. "Modi took loan from big industrialists to win the (Lok Sabha) election. How will he meet their obligation? By giving your land to them... They want to weaken the land bill," Gandhi said. He alleged that the government wants that farmers do not get adequate price for their crops, do not get fertiliser and the farmer is not able to stand on his feet. "Then, they will purchase your land and give it to industrialists... There is the Gujarat model. What he (Modi) did in Gujarat, he wants to do it in India... Modi wants to weaken the foundation," he said. Gandhi was on the offensive right from the start of his nearly 25-minute speech. "Today the farmer and labourer is feeling nervous. There are two reasons -- one, he feels that the government has forgotten him and it belongs to industrialists and second, the BJP wants to change the land acquisition bill that was passed in 2013 (during UPA rule)," Gandhi said.