Patna, Aug 23 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of betraying the Dalit and backward farmers, especially the makhana growers of Bihar.
In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “The vote-thief government neither values nor cares for the extremely backward, Dalit workers, and farmers. It has given them neither income nor justice. The right to vote and the right to livelihood are two sides of the same coin, and we will not allow people to lose either.”
During his ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra, Gandhi met makhana farmers in their fields and listened to their grievances. He pointed out that Bihar produces nearly 90 percent of the world’s makhana, yet the farmers and workers who toil under harsh conditions do not even receive one percent of the profits.
He said that in big cities, makhana is sold at Rs 1,000–2,000 per kilo, but the hardworking farmers who are the backbone of this entire industry are paid only a nominal price.
Ninety-nine percent of the labor is done by Dalit, Bahujan, and extremely backward farmers, while the profits are pocketed by just one percent of middlemen, Gandhi quipped. He accused the government of willful neglect, asserting that policies were designed to benefit a handful of profiteers at the expense of millions of marginalised workers. Gandhi pledged that the Congress would continue to fight for both “the right to vote and the right to livelihood.”
UNI RS RN