Shocking: Crops destroyed for Rahul Gandhi's rally in Karnataka

Updated: Friday, October 9, 2015, 16:45 [IST]

Bengaluru, Oct 8: Karnataka is getting ready for the much awaited rally of Rahul Gandhi who is scheduled to go for a nine-km padayatra in the state on Saturday, Oct 10.

However, ahead of his scheduled rally, Rahul Gandhi landed in a controversy. Crops, which scattered on an area roughly the size of three football fields, have been cleared before harvest.

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According to Congress sources, crops have been cleared as a stage will be set up on the same area for Rahul Gandhi's programme. To clear a four-acre patch, maize crop was allegedly destroyed.

The Congress Vice President is scheduled to travel by helicopter. Then Rahul will embark on his nine-km padyatra. The route of this foot-march has allegedly been cleared so the Congress leader won't be inconvenienced.

The Congress President faced criticism from many, especially from Ramchandra Guha, a noted historian. Mr Guha wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter, "A poor farmer in Karnataka loses valuable cropland to a stage built for Rahul Gandhi to come and go."

Despite facing criticism, Karnataka Congress leaders defended their decision of destroying the crops. They claimed that the farmer is a Congress supporter and it was his decision to clean the crops to help Rahul Gandhi.