AMN /
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today began his 10 km-long ‘padayatra’ in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to interact with farmers, weavers and students. Rahul’s yatra is said to highlight various problems being faced by farmers in the state and women Self-Help Group members and give assurances on behalf of his party. Addressing a public gathering at Obula-devara cheruvu in Anantapur district Rahul Gandhi assured that the Congress would fight for the cause of the farmers, weavers and the poor in the State.
He said his party would stand by the families of those farmers who have committed suicide due debts. He insisted that no land should be acquired without having the consent of the farmers. He said his party when in power has made amendments to the Act in order to benefit the farm labourers along with the farmers.
Rahul’s foot-march kicked off from the village where his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had addressed a meeting in 1979. During the course of his padayatra, he will have interactions in three villages of the district with farmers, NREGA workers and women SHGs. The Congress Vice President will undertake his second stretch of padayatra from Mamilakuntapalli to Daburavaripalli a 5 kms stretch and later, he will have an interaction with women SHGs and visit Deburavaripalli habitation.
The third stretch of Rahul’s padyatra will be between Daburavaripalli to Kondakamarla another 2 kms, where he will interact with NREGA workers and family members of migrant labourers. He will go to Puttaparthy and receive representations from people, besides holding interaction with senior Congress leaders. Mr. Gandhi’s visit, the first after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, is being seen as an effort to strengthen the party’s base in the state after it drew a blank in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held in 2014.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state and main opposition YSR Congress, yesterday hit out at Rahul’s padayatra, blaming the Congress for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the “gross injustice” to Semaandhra. Meanwhile, AP State Agriculture Minister Pattipati Pulla Rao called upon the Congress and YSRCP parties to end their politically-motivated tours in the State, in the name of consoling the families of farmers who had committed suicide under debt burden, saying that AICC vice-persident Rahul Gandhi may create further problems for his Congress party.