Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha over the “scrapping” of a mega food park project at his Amethi constituency.
Terming Modi’s functioning as “politics of revenge”, he said, the new government is not following the “politics of change” which he had promised.
Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Gandhi said he was very happy with Modi’s poll promises fir the betterment of Amethi. “Politicians offer promises to people and the one made by the Prime Minister is the biggest. But unfortunately what he is doing presently is politics of revenge,” he said.
It was learnt that the Centre had scrapped the project in his family pocket-borough which would have benefited farmers in 10 districts.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders raised slogans against the move in the house and they heard shouting “shame, shame”. BJP members often interrupted Rahul as he highlighted how he worked to have the food park project allotted to Amethi after farmers’ raised the issue with him.
While taking a jibe at Modi, he said, “I am not talking about suit but potato. You should not be scared.”
Highlighting farmers’ concern, he said, “They asked me what is this magic that they sell potato for Rs 2 per kilogram but a packet of chips having not more than one potato’s content sells for Rs 10. They said if they could sell potatoes directly to factories, then they would benefit more. The project happened slowly.”
Taking Gandhi on, union home minister Rajnath Singh said, “I born to a family of farmers and the Congress leader’s knowledge was limited as one potato’s content cost up to Rs 70 in a chips packet. As far as I know, it was the company behind the mega food park which pulled out.”
“I will look in to the matter and personally inform you,” Singh said. Amid the sparring between treasury benches and the opposition, Singh was heard asking his party members to keep quiet and let him speak.
Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, while addressing a press conference said, the food park was sanctioned in 2010 during UPA government’s rule and after that eight extensions were sought for the project as it was not viable.