Farmer groups meet Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, April 20: Hundreds of farmers on Monday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and discussed the controversial land acquisition bill of the central government and issues related to farming, an official said.

"Hundreds of farmers' leaders who had come for Sunday's rally here stayed back as they wanted to meet Sonia ji," a Congress official told IANS. [Sonia Gandhi meets farmers hit by rain, hailstorm in Rajasthan]

"They have been meeting her in groups at her official residence and the process is on since morning," he said. [Help rain-hit farmers: Sonia Gandhi urges Haryana]

Farmers not only from the neighbouring states of Delhi but from far off areas like Jharkhand, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu also stayed on in Delhi to meet her, the official said.

Issues concerning farming and the government's controversial land acquisition bill formed the core of the meeting, he added. [Sonia Gandhi meets rain-hit farmers in MP, assures support]

Sunday's rally was Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's first public rally after returning from a 56-day leave of absence.

IANS