Latest news - Rahul Gandhi on Dharna in support of farmers in Greater Noida

Latest news - Rahul Gandhi on Dharna in support of farmers in Greater Noida

UP government had since Monday cordoned off area of Greater Noida where farmer violent skirmish took place on Saturday resulting in death of four persons. However, Rahul Gandhi silently reached Bhatta Parsaul villages in Greater Noida on Wednesday early morning.

He moved from house to house and interacted with the men and women and listened how badly they have been treated by the police. He also visited the families of those injured or killed in the agitation. He saw men and women crying and wailing over the death and injuries of their family members and offered his sympathies and condoled the affected families.

The farmers had been agitating since January 2011 demanding higher compensation for their lands acquired by the state government. Their demand is that only half their lands should be acquired while the rest should be handed over to the farmers after development. They also want 25 percent reservation for farmers in all schemes of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.

The agitating farmers feel that Mayawati is apathetic towards their grievances as a result the police is indulging in violence to suppress their agitation for redressal of legitimate demands.

Rahul Gandhi was so much moved by the sufferings of the men and women there that he sat on a Dharna in the village itself. Rita Baghuna Joshi, UPCC President and Digvijay Singh, AICC General Secretary & in charge UP Congress affairs were also with him.

Digvijay explained that the situation turned violent only because there was no body to listen to the problems of the farmers. The government should be sensitive which it is not. As a result there is no development in the state; corruption is rampant and police is committing atrocities with impunity. “The state government acquired farmers land at Rs 850 per square meter and selling it to private parties at Rs10000 per square meter. The acquisition method is itself wrong”, he explained.

Digvijay said Congress party was with the farmers; the farmers should be paid a fair compensation for their acquired land; there should be judicial inquiry in the violent incident and those arrested be released immediately; no acquisition process should proceed without mutual consent.

“Rahul Gandhi does not believe in media publicity; that is why media did not know of the visit in advance where leaders of other parties like media publicity; therefore media reaches there in advance”, he added.

“Rahul Gandhi will not leave the place until the demands of the farmers were met and the response to this effect is received from the state government”, he explained. When SDM of the area met Rahul Gandhi to know what his demands were, he refused to talk to the SDM and said the state government was already aware of the farmers demand.

“Rahul Gandhi wanted to reach out to the aggrieved and oppressed farmers”, said Rita Bahuguna Joshi. “The Congress will carry on struggle for farmers”, she added.