India
At a time when the Congress is riding high on its victory in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh by playing the ‘farmer loan waiver' card, the Karnataka BJP exposed the double standard of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Former chief minister and BJP president, BS Yeddyurappa stated that 377 farmers have committed suicide. Out of Rs 44,000 crore loan waiver promised, only Rs 50 crores have been disbursed
Rahul Gandhi was called out for double standards of the Congress by the Karnataka BJP after BS Yeddyurappa pointed out that after the coalition government came to power by promising to waive off farmer loans in 10 days, the state has recorded 377 farmer suicides due to mounting debts.
Yeddyurappa questioned the Karnataka government in the assembly at the Belagavi winter sessions and said, "It has been six months since the Congress-JD(S) coalition formed the government. What are your achievements? You promised Rs 45,000 crore farm loan waiver, but so far only Rs 50 crores loan from nationalised banks have been cleared. In reply to my queries, you have said that it will take four years. The chief minister did not visit any drought hit areas, nor did he have any video conference to respective districts to address farmers issue. Now the CM is projecting me as the villain and blocking the loan waiver process. On Turdall last time, 5,750 per quintal was fixed, now there is no answer on current rate and how the government wants to purchase from turdall growers. There is no reply on loan clearance letter to farmers. In Maharashtra and UP the loan was cleared in one go."
Following Yeddyurappa's demand to get an answer from the government on the farmers' issue in the assembly, the Karnataka BJP unit tweeted accusing the Congress and the JD(S) of playing with lives of farmers by using 'farmer loan waiver' trick. The tweet also brought to light that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government’s promise to waive off the loan in ten days after forming the government were not fulfilled even after six months. This came in reply to Rahul Gandhi who claimed that it took the Congress only two days to waive of farm loans in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
Lashing at this double standard of the Congress on farm loan waivers, CN Ashwath Narayan, BJP Spokesperson states, "The JD(S) announced in their manifesto that they will waive off farmer loans, but now say they need bank details. The Congress also promised the same, now they are accusing central government of not cooperating and releasing money. If we take Maharashtra and UP, the respective states did it on their own and never blamed the central government,"
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