Almost after one and half year of the July 31, 2024 landlslide in Kerala’s Wayanad, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for houses that are built for the victim families of the tragedy by the Congress.
He also addressed the farmer convention and once again trained his guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing US agriculture products in India comparing that it is like hitting with JCB digging into the foundations of a building, which will lead to collapse of the economy.
Rahul Gandhi, who was on a day visit to Wayanad, forst addressed the farmers convenition here and said that Modi had sacrificed the country’s farmers to protect himself and his businessman friend, who is facing a criminal case in the US.
He asserted that the Congress will not allow the country’s farmers to be sacrificed, come what may.
He said that the Indo-US trade deal was stuck for four months and nothing was moving. He disclosed that he had learnt from multiple sources in the government that nobody wanted the American agriculture products to be sold in Indian markets. However, he noted, all of a sudden, the deal was signed and Modi agreed to everything, with the US President Donald Trump threatening him about the Epstein files and the case against Gautam Adani.
The Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli said that there were 30 lakh more Epstein files pending, which had not been released so far.
He said these files have information about the Prime Minister. He said Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani’s names in the Epstein files were revealed only to target and threaten Modi, and he succumbed to the threat.
He alleged that the Prime Minister sacrificed the farmers of the country and allowed American agriculture products like soybean, corn and fruits to be sold in Indian markets.
He explained that it will hit the foundation of the Indian economy like a JCB if it is used to dig the foundations of a building.
He pointed out that agriculture is the foundation of the Indian economy, and if it is dug, the entire structure would be shaken.
He said the Prime Minister allowing American agriculture products in India was like a JCB digging into the foundation of a building, which will make it collapse eventually.
Referring to upcoming Kerala elections, the Gandhi scion predicted that the UDF will form government in the state.
He said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) government will act like a service provider for the farmers. “Instead of the farmers coming to the government for help, the government should go to them like a service provider,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also said that the UDF government would address the issue of man-animal conflict with sensitivity and a technology-driven approach, bringing together the best experts to develop an effective solution to the problem.
The former Congress chief also sought inputs from the people for the party’s manifesto for Kerala, which is being currently prepared.
He urged people that they should reach out to the Manifesto Committee and provide their inputs so that these can be incorporated in the manifesto.
Earlier, Gandhi had a detailed interaction with the farmers who raised various issues related to agriculture.
Meanwhile, later in the day he laid thr foundation stone for the houses being constructed by the Congress for Wayanad landslide victims along eith his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Priyanka Gandhi recalled the tragedy and pictures.of destruction after the landslide and said that she cannot imagine the devastation caused.
She pointed out that many people had lost everything- their homes, their families, their schools, their shops, their businesses, everything.
“What struck me most, was your courage, your pride and the way every single person here did whatever they could to help you. And the way that all of you stood together, helping each other, no matter what religion you belong, no matter what different sections you belong to, you all stood together, you supported each other, you gave each other courage, you gave each other love, when you needed it most,” she said.
She also said that since the 2024 tragedy she had watched the different struggles, people faced through this period.
“You have faced the struggle to rebuild your family life, to wake up every morning and carry on without the people you love the most. You have faced the struggle of not having places to stay, having to move from one place to another, having to live in rented accommodation. I have met proud people like my brother Anayan who owned farmlands, who was a well to do farmer and after the tragedy, had to make ends meet by driving an auto rickshaw. I have met courageous young people like Honey, who lost his entire family, but as I have said before turn around and said to me that what he wants to do is, provide help to people, who have less than him, who are poorer,” the Congress General Secretary said.
“We raised your voice in Parliament again and again. All of us MPs went and met the Home Minister demanding that the disaster should be termed a national disaster. We wrote letters to the Prime Minister; we protested outside Parliament and we tried to do whatever we could do to help you and to support you to rebuild your lives and I am proud to say that our efforts also were across party lines. All different political parties did try to help and support you through this period and as your struggle continues, we will continue to stand by you and support you,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
She also recalled that how shortly, after the tragedy, her brother had come and said that we will build a hundred houses for those, who have lost their homes.
“It pained me that this process took as long as it did. It took us time because of a lot of clearances, we needed, because of land issues and permissions, but finally, I am happy to say that today, we will be able to make a start on building those houses. It is our objective to provide eleven hundred square feet house along with eight cents of land to each beneficiary. We have acquired the land for this at Kunnambatta of Meppadi panchayat and executed the sale deed,” she said.
She also said that 3 acres and 24.5 cents have been acquired while 2 acres and 18 cents is in the process of being purchased and will also be completed and the negotiations are over for another 5 acres.
