Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign trips, saying while the Prime Minister was busy flying abroad, the Congress stood with farmers and labourers even as he launched a padayatra to highlight the plight of sugarcane farmers in UP.
He also took a dig at Modi’s “achche din” slogan, asking where have those promised good days gone, saying the Congress’ good days will come once farmers, labourers and the poor felt good. “When Narendra Modi is flying to England, Rahul Gandhi is standing here amongst you in your fields. I want to tell you that we are with you. Congress is standing with you and will die and keep standing with you,” he said.
Gandhi, who was seen standing next to controversial Congress MLA Imran Masood, who was jailed in March last year for his hate speech against Modi, said: “We don’t want such an India where the poor, farmers and oppressed are unhappy. We don’t want a ‘suit-boot’ government. We want that India should be of the poor and labourers.”
He said: “When the Lok Sabha elections were held, a lot of people supported Narendra Modi. He claimed that he will change India. He does not even remember his own slogan of “achche din ayenge”. When we talk of ‘achche din’ people laugh across the country. Where are those good days?”
“He travels abroad, flies to London, Singapore, America, but good days have not come. In India, ‘achche din’ will only come when farmers, labourers, poor, dalits and tribals have good days. Only then, will good days come for the Congress," he said.
He asked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to keep up with his promise of bringing a change in the state by resolving farmers’ issues of their pending payments of sugarcane and restarting sugar mills. “Akhilesh Yadavji, you claimed to belong to the new generation and promised to change UP. You still have one-and-a-half years time to change UP.”