Sonia visits Bhiwani, seeks compensation for farmers hit by unseasonal rains

Bhiwani: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday appealed to the BJP government in Haryana to provide timely compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent unseasonal rains in north India.

Her visit to the state comes amid increased focus of the party on farmers' issues and its strident opposition to the NDA government's controversial land ordinance, which has brought opposition parties on one platform. "What do they want? They just want relief. I appeal to the government to give right and timely compensation to these farmers. That is what the government's responsibility is," she said during her visit to Bhadra village in Bhiwani district.

Gandhi, who is on a day-long visit to the state, is also visiting Gurwara village falling under Rohtak Parliamentary seat, represented by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda. In the later part of the day she will visit Surakhpur, Jakkhala Road, Gudiani, Mubarikpur chowk and Rattanthal villages of Rohtak apart from visiting Karnal.

The Congress President had visited villages in Kota district of Rajasthan on Friday where she met farmers, who have suffered crop and livestock losses, and expressed solidarity with them