Amethi: Union Minister Smriti Irani today attacked Rahul Gandhi on his home turf on the food park issue, charging that he was more interested in protecting the interests of a business house and was ignoring the plight of farmers.
On a visit to the district to meet farmers affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm, the BJP leader said, “When Rahul Gandhi spoke for the first time in Amethi, he was talking for a business house. He did not speak for the farmers of Amethi.
“If you look at the documents of district officials, you will understand that from 2010 to 2014, the land was not provided by Congress. Whatever help had to be given for gas was not given for long,” she said to a question on the food park.
The food park issue was recently raised in Lok Sabha by Rahul Gandhi who attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of practicing “politics of revenge” by cancelling the food processing plant.
Irani said that Rahul has been “missing” from his constituency and that the dreams shown by three generations of Congress can only be fulfilled by the Narendra Modi government.
Asked if she had planned her visit in view of Gandhi’s forthcoming visit to Amethi, she said, “Rahul Gandhi’s timing is suspect, not mine”.
“The timing of Mr Gandhi is suspect. If you look at the announcement, there were some press reports about my visit here and one and a half hours after my announcement, Gandhi’s office announced his plans to come.
“The MP of Amethi has been missing from here. I am glad, at least, to follow my footsteps, the people of Amethi will get to see him,” she said.
Earlier, Irani was welcomed by the Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjiv Baliyan.
From Inhauna she drove to Raja Fatepur in Tiloi Assembly segment and addressed a kisan panchayat where she highlighted schemes announced by the Centre for farmers.
PTI
