Aligarh, Jul 8 (IANS): Indian politicians need to foray more into the rural areas to understand the ground realities, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Friday.

"No politician can ever improve the condition of the farmers without approaching them directly," said Gandhi, while holding an informal meeting with farmers in Devaka village here in Uttar Pradesh.

"When we sit in Delhi or Lucknow, we are unaware about ground realities... We are unable to know the truth. No matter how intelligent a politician is, he cannot improve your conditions without reaching you directly," he said.

"I want to learn from you (farmers) and understand your real problems. Therefore, I have started the padyatra," said Gandhi on day four of his campaign against forcible land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh.

Hitting out at the state government, he said: "When a person sells his land in a city, he gets the market price. However, in villages farmers get around 10 times less price than the market cost.

"And when the villagers here (Uttar Pradesh) ask for their rights, they are gagged," he added.

"You (farmers) work very hard... You give food to the nation. Despite all this, you are deprived of your rights," he said.

Gandhi, who has been trying to drum up anti-Mayawati sentiments against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government's land acquisition policy, launched his padyatra Tuesday.

It comes ahead of the Congress-organised Kisan Mahapanchayat in Aligarh Saturday.