Small industries, artisans suffering in country due to Chinese goods: Rahul

Aligarh/AGRA, Feb 25: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sunday alleged that indigenous, small and cottage-scale industries and artisans are suffering in the country as traders linked to large corporate groups were flooding the markets with Chinese goods.
He was addressing a gathering after his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra arrived here from Moradabad via Sambhal. Gandhi was greeted in Aligarh by a large number of workers of the Congress and supporters of its INDIA bloc ally Samajwadi Party (SP).
With Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanying him, the Uttar Pradesh Congress posted on ‘X’ in Hindi, “The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is moving forward with the message of unity, brotherhood and harmony with ‘Jannayak’ and ‘Lok Netri.” Sharing a video of the yatra, the party said, “This crowd will send a message to the coming generations that when a dictator was bent on destroying the integrity, sovereignty and the Constitution of the country, we worked to stop him through this yatra.” Referring to the famous lock industry and artisans of Aligarh, Gandhi said the influx of cheap China-made products was sounding the death knell for the local small and cottage units, while big business houses were reaping a rich harvest.
In his address, he said, “The next time I come to this city, I would love to see ‘made in Aligarh’ electronic goods instead of China-made ones.” Gandhi also said, “The reason behind the rising hatred in the country is injustice. In India, injustice is being done to the poor, farmers, youths and women… We have started ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ against this injustice.” “Hatred is spreading in the country, why is it spreading, what is the reason for it? I must have asked this question to thousands of people,” he said, with the crowd replying, “Vote bank.” Gandhi went on, “Brothers and sisters, there is no vote bank, do not have this misconception. The people of India, farmers and labourers have told me that the reason for violence and hatred is injustice.” “So we added the word ‘Nyay’ to the name of the second Bharat Jodo Yatra. Because now, this second yatra is working to unite India. Now, this second yatra is fighting against injustice…,” the Congress leader added.
Akhilesh joins Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra on Sunday, days after the two parties reached a seat-sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls.
Party workers of the SP and the Congress raised slogans in their support as the two leaders, accompanied by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, waved at the crowd gathered here for the yatra.
Attacking the government in his address on the occasion, Yadav said, “Today, farmers are standing against the government. The government is scared of the power of farmers. In the coming time, the BJP will be removed and the INDIA coalition government will give respect to farmers.”
He added that the BJP has not given the backward classes, Dalits and minority communities the respect they deserve.
Senior Congress leader in Uttar Pradesh Pradeep Mathur was also present on the occasion. (PTI)