Thaindian News

Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) The Shiv Sena party mouthpiece Saamna in Marathi Sunday carried a ‘missing people’ advertisement taking a sarcastic dig at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, stating he was missing from Maharashtra where the farmers really need him.

“Talking out of context, getting stuck in controversies and eccentric urge to stay in a Dalit’s or farmer’s shanty once in a while” were described as Gandhi’s habits in the ad.

The ad described Gandhi’s appearance, the kind of clothes he wears and his habits along with his photograph. “Poor cultivators from Maharashtra are desperately in search of the person with above mentioned description,” the ad stated.

His absence from the scene of firing at a Maval sub-district village in Pune district Aug 9, in which three people were killed, was questioned.

Describing Gandhi further, the ad said that he had initiated an agitation along with senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh to support the farmers of Bhatta Parsaul in Uttar Pradesh.

“He poked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati by organising mahapanchayats against her,” the ad said.

“Justice deprived and torture-ridden farmers of Maharashtra are eagerly awaiting this ‘messiah’,” the ad mocked.

The tribals who have been fighting against takeover of their lands for the Jaitapur nuclear power plant were also mentioned.

“When farmers were shot at Jaitapur also, this sympathising Gandhi didn’t come to Maharashtra. When the Congress government literally shot at farmers protesting the new Pavna pipeline project at Maval in Pune district, he was missing again,” the ad said.

Gandhi was told: “Nobody will scold you for going away. Maharashtra’s farmers have not been able to eat or drink properly since you have gone missing. Please return soon.”

It was signed by farmers’ communities Jaitapur Sangharsh Samiti and Pavna-Maval Khore Bachav Samiti as is done in a typical missing people’s advertisement.