Telangana: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi embarked on a 15-km long padyatra from Koritical village in Adilabad district of Telangana on Friday highlighting the woes of farmers over which he has taken tenaciously on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
On a tour of villages which have witnessed a number of suicides hit by the agrarian distress, the 44-year-old Amethi MP visited the family of Velma Rajeshwar, who had ended his life due to debt burden.
Rahul handed over a cheque worth Rs 2 lakh to the family of Rajeshwar.
He also met the family of another farmer, who allegedly committed suicide and gave his wife a cheque of Rs 1 lakh.
The padyatra and interaction with farmer families will continue through Laxmanchanda, Pottupalli, Rachapur and Vadial in Laxmanchanda mandal until late afternoon on Friday.
Rahul had earlier raised farmers’ issues in the Parliament and also reached out to farmers in Punjab and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
According to reports, over 900 farmers have committed suicide in the state due to the agrarian crisis.
The ruling TRS, meanwhile, said the Congress should not play politics on farmer issues.
“A democratic country like India needs a strong Opposition. Rahul Gandhi and Congress should focus on issues that don’t backfire on them. Selective amnesia will not serve their interests,” TRS MP K Visweswar Reddy said in a statement.
Rahul has aggressively raised farmers’ issues in Parliament and also reached out to farmers in Punjab and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.