Amethi food park issue again leads to heat in LS

New Delhi: The issue of mega food park Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi again generated heat in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with Congress accusing government of resorting to “politics of vendetta” on development issues. 

There were verbal exchanges between members of Congress and treasury benches after Leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge referred to the food park scrapped by the Narendra Modi government. 

Alleging that “politics of vendetta” was being resorted to either by cancelling or not proceeding ahead with projects cleared by the erstwhile UPA regime, he came out names of several such projects including a canal project in Rajasthan named after Indira Gandhi and 1000-bedded National Cancer Institute as part of expansion of AIIMS in Delhi. 

“If this is not politics of vendetta, what is it,” Kharge asked. 

He then referred to the statement made by Food Processing Minister Harsmirat Kaur on the reasons for cancellation of the Amethi food park. 

Immediately Kaur repeatedly sought to have a say, contending that her name has been taken by the Congress leader and she should be given right to reply. 

Egged on by BJP members including Kirit Somaiya and Ministers like Smriti Irani sitting by her side, Kaur pressed for having a say despite Speaker Sumitra Mahajan repeatedly telling her that she was not allowing her to speak. 

Kaur’s attempts angered Congress members who stormed into the Well of the House forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for 20 minutes. 

The issue was first raised by Rahul in the House last week.