Rahul Gandhi lying and misleading farmers: Smriti Irani

AMETHI: Union minister Smriti Irani launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, accusing him of "lying and misleading" farmers over the Centre's recent farm laws.
Addressing a farmers' rally in her parliamentary constituency Amethi, Irani said, "Rahul Gandhi is telling lies and misleading farmers."

"He is shedding crocodile tears for farmers and misleading them. His own jija (brother-in-law) has encroached upon land of farmers," she alleged, in an apparent reference to charges levelled against Robert Vadra by political rivals.

Irani's attack on Gandhi comes amid protests by farmers on various border points of Delhi against the Centre's recent farm laws.

Throwing a challenge at Gandhi for a debate on farmer issues, Irani asked him to come in the midst of farmers here and claimed that she would expose him for "every single sin" committed by him.

The Union minister addressed the rally in Singhpur block in Tiloi as part of a mega exercise undertaken by the BJP to reach out to farmers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families under the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM-KISAN).

While putting up a strong defence of the three new farm laws, Modi on Friday said the Centre is willing to resume the dialogue on all farmers-related issues, even with those staunchly opposed to his government as long as the talks are based on issues, facts and logic.

Irani said Gandhi, whom she defeated in the last parliamentary election, is showing sympathy for farmers now, but he himself has "grabbed" the land of farmers.

"The kind of development which had taken place before I came here is known to all. This family had knowingly kept Amethi and its farmers away from development. They kept misleading them, enjoyed the fruits of power sitting in Delhi and lived in a palace of gold," she alleged.

Irani alleged that the Gandhi family did not think about the development of Amethi after winning elections.

She also listed various development works undertaken after the BJP formed government in Delhi.

Talking to reporters later, Irani said, "The Congress is misleading farmers by telling a lie that MSP and mandis will come to an end, only for political gains."

The farmers of the country want to move towards adopting new techniques to increase their income but this is troubling the Congress, she said.

She also cited how various schemes of the state and central governments have benefitted the farmers of Amethi.