BJP hits out at Cong, asks if 'vadra model of development' was better

Hitting back at Congress for calling the Narendra Modi government "anti-farmer", the BJP today questioned the alleged land deals involving Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in Haryana and Rajasthan and asked if they were in the interest of the farming community.

Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar also hit out at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for "take in India" remarks in which he said Modi's "Make in India" has no place for the farmers and the poor.

"Rahul Gandhi has become an expert in talk with light substance (halki baat). (He says) it is not 'Make in India' but 'take in India'. Rahul ji, 'take in India' happened the most in your (UPA) rule. It happened in 2G (spectrum allocation), Commonwealth games, coal... no decision was taken without taking. Therefore, you remember take in India," he said.

The BJP held a press conference just hours after Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan to project the decision of the Modi government of not re-promulgating the land ordinance as the victory of the party and the farmers.

Charging that the Prime Minister had "no time" to meet farmers and hear their woes, Congress today said it would take the fight on the "anti-farmer" land bill to the states.

Prasad also defended the amended land bill, claiming that several chief ministers of Congress-ruled states had supported changes in the Act and development was difficult without the amendments.

The minister said Niti Aayog has suggested that states be given flexibility in land law and the issue is under consideration of the Centre.

He also claimed that the then Commerce Minister Anand Sharma too had supported changes in the land law for the sake of development.

Seeking to puncture Congress' attack on the new land bill and the ordinance which lapsed last month, Prasad asked if farmers were respected under the "vadra model of development where land was bought at cheap rates and sold at higher prices."

He also sought to know about the land acquired for 37 special economic zones in Haryana in the ten years of Congress rule. "So far only six have become operational. What happened to the rest. Where is the land (acquired for them)," he asked. 

Belting out the pro-poor achievements of the NDA government, Prasad talked about 18 crore bank accounts for the poor under Jandhan Yojna, hike in compensation for people affected by natural disasters, seed subsidy for drought-hit areas.

"Congress always wanted to keep the farmer impoverished. We want to strengthen them. This is the key difference between the two of us," he said.

Targeting Rahul, Prasad said the Congress leader had termed land as "mother", but 'Bharat Mata' suffered the most during the UPA "misrule" of ten years.

Responding to Rahul's 'suit-boot' jibe at Prime Minister Modi, he said the present government is 'soojh-boojh' ki sarkar (a government with reasoning and common sense).