Nongpoh, Jan 23:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his foray into Meghalaya on Monday was all praise for the pineapples of the hill state, saying it was the tastiest that he ever had.
“Today when we were driving here, we stopped and tasted some of your pineapples. There was a daughter and mother selling pineapples on the side of the road. In my entire life, I have never tasted a pineapple more delicious than what I tasted here in Meghalaya,” he said, addressing a public rally at the NSCA stadium at Pahamsyiem, Nongpoh as part of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.
” In fact, immediately after I had it, I called up my mother (Sonia Gandhi) and I told her I am bringing some of the best pineapples in the world to you,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also posed three questions: “Why isn’t the best-tasting pineapple available to the entire world? Why is the best-tasting pineapple in the world not being sold in London, New York or Tokyo? Why are the farmers not benefiting from the sale of pineapples to the rest of the world?” .
“Is it because the infrastructure has not been developed to send that pineapple to the rest of the world,” he lamented.
Rahul said, “The entire population of Meghalaya can become wealthy on what you produce here.”
Describing himself as ‘soldier’ of the people in Delhi, the Congress parliamentarian said, “Whatever you need from me in Delhi, I will always try and deliver to you. I want to have a loving relationship with the people of Meghalaya and that is why I have come here.”
Rahul told the gathering, “I have come here to listen to and learn from you. I am not here to tell my Mann ki Baat, I have come here to listen to your Mann Ki Baat.”
