Headlines
Axing Amethi food park is Modi's vendetta: Rahul
New Delhi, May 7
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."