GORAKPUR (TIP): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sept 7 attacked the Modi government saying those who took away cots were being branded as thieves while industrialists like Vijay Mallya who escaped with Rs 1,000 crore was being labelled a ‘defaulter’.

Using Sept 6 ‘khat loot’ incident in Deoria to attack the Modi government, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that those who took away cots were being branded as thieves while the liquor baron who escaped with Rs 1,000 crore was being called a ‘defaulter’.

“When people like Vijay Mallya escape from the country with Rs 1,000 crore they are referred to as defaulters. BJP and media label poor farmers as thieves when they take away cots,” said Gandhi while addressing farmers during the ‘khat sabha’ in Gorakhpur’s Sant Kabir Nagar. Gandhi was referring to Tuesday’s incident at Deoria where villagers took away nearly 1,000 stringed cots – khats in local parlance – after his rally. The Congress vice-president, who is undertaking about a month-long 2500-km mahayatra from Deoria to Delhi that started on Tuesday, is highlighting the plight of farmers.

As part of the yatra, “Khaat Sabha” (Charpoy meetings) are being organised for Rahul to interact with farmers.

On Wednesday, Gandhi again raised the issue of PM Narendra Modi’s suit which he wore during his visit to the US.

“Modiji’s suit was sold for several crores of rupees but he does not have time to waive off loan of farmers,” he said. “The Modi government waived off loans of industrialists which were to the tune of Rs 1.4 lakh crore but ignored the poor farmers. The UPA government had written off farm loan of Rs 70,000 crore,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi also met Japanese encephalitis patients and took out a road show in Gorakhpur and used both the occasions to hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the gathering after the road show, Gandhi said that the Prime Minister was busy with his foreign tours while the farmers were crying for help.

“Kisan trast hain, Modiji mast hain (Farmers are suffering while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is carefree). Modiji is touring China, USA and Japan. He likes foreign trips, it’s okay. (PTI)