Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Monday took a delegation of farmers from Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida Monday to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over controversial land acquisition and alleged atrocities were committed on the villagers by the Uttar Pradesh government.

“The farmers wanted to meet the prime minister and I facilitated it. People are being killed, women raped, I am quite concerned about the situation and it is still pretty bad,” Gandhi told reporters outside the Prime Minister’s Residence at 7 Race Course Road here.

The Congress general secretary, who took eight farmers with him to meet Manmohan Singh, said the prime minister gave them a “patient hearing”.

Four people, including two policemen, were killed May 7 when villagers clashed with policemen for higher compensation for their lands acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government for development projects.

“The issues are more fundamental with regard to these villages. In large number of villages in Uttar Pradesh, all down the Agra highway where state oppression is being used, people are being murdered, women being raped, people have been thrashed and houses destroyed,” he said.

Gandhi also handed over pictures of burnt bodies, ashes with bones and ransacked houses to the prime minister and later to the media.

“What I am concerned about is that how are we treating our own people. Most of the people said that they are more than happy to give land for development. Most poor people wanted development in the country and they are ready to sacrifice. The question is how we treat them - do we treat them fairly or we brutalise (them),” he said.

Replying to questions about delay in passage of the Land Acquisition Act, Rahul Gandhi said: “We are committed to the act and it is a complicated piece of legislation and we are working on it. We are confident that it will be passed in the next session.”

Seeking a judicial inquiry into atrocities on farmers in the state, Gandhi demanded release of all jailed people.

Gandhi visited Bhatta Parsaul village last week, surprising the Mayawati government. He was later arrested and released.

The Congress has also announced a rally in Mayawati’s native village Badalpur next month to keep up the momentum of its agitation against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government on issues concerning the farmers.