Farm distress: Rahul likely to visit Maharashtra, Telangana

Rahul during kapat opening ceremony at Rudraprayag Friday. (Source: Express photo by Virender Singh Negi)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is likely to travel to Maharashtra and Telangana — the two states which have witnessed most farmer suicides — in the coming days. Ever since he returned from sabbatical, Rahul has been active in Parliament, speaking twice this week in the House.

He also visited Kedarnath temple in what is seen as a spiritual-cum-political trip. Sources said preparations are afoot for Rahul’s visit to agricultural distress-hit areas, and Maharashtra and Telangana are high on the agenda. They said it could be a padayatra or visit to the houses of farmers who have committed suicide.

The Congress leader is also likely to speak in Parliament on the issue of price rise next week.

“I have said earlier that he should be heard more and seen more. We are now hearing him more and seeing him more,” Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh told The Indian Express. Asked whether Rahul would be able to maintain the tempo for four years, he said “that applies to the government also. Will they able to sustain their absolutely false campaigns not based on facts. Will they be able to keep on fooling people for the next four years?”

The sources said distress-hit areas would be high on Rahul’s itinerary and Congress would leave no stone unturned to keep the heat on the government over the issue of agrarian. On Friday, it sought to corner the AAP government in Delhi too saying the death of Gajendra Singh raises disturbing questions as to whether the Rajasthan farmer was actually “pushed and provoked” into the act.

Asserting that he was not alleging it was a case of murder, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the way the death has taken place raises disturbing questions.

Source:: Indian Express