The ruling BJP has mounted an all-out offensive against farm-loan waivers, the Congress’ victory formula in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, accusing the Opposition party of “duping and betraying farmers”. The BJP on Monday said the Congress has not allocated adequate budgetary support for loan waivers in States where it is in power.
The party fielded Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar to pick on the Congress’ performance on the farm-loan waivers in Punjab and Karnataka, two States where disbursement of waivers has run into glitches and protests from the BJP, to assert that Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his campaign managers are “lying and misleading farmers”.
“In Punjab, where the Congress has run the government for over one year now, they promised to waive off farm loans up to ₹2 lakh. The total budgetary allocation for this promise is ₹90,000 crore. But they have marked only ₹3000 crore for this and refused to disburse the adequate amount to the nationalised banks. So, on one hand, they are looting the banks and on the other, they have lied to the farmers,” said Javadekar.
Pointing out at the Opposition protests in Karnataka, where the Congress formed an alliance government with the Janata Dal (United) earlier this year, the Union Minister said about 394 farmers have committed suicide in the southern State because of the government’s “apathy and indifference”.
Lies and falsehoods
“In Karnataka, they were required to have allocated ₹45,000 crore in the State budget to the fulfil the promise they made to the farmers. They have distributed ₹75 crore so far. There are about 52 conditions in the form that need to be satisfied before a farmer qualifies for the loan. This meansonly 15 per cent of the total farmers are eligible. On an average, two farmers commit suicide dailyin Karnataka. This is the truth behind the lies and falsehoods of the Congress’ poll promises,” said Javadekar.
Javadekar said instead of making due allocations in the state budget, the Congress and JD(S) government is putting pressure on the nationalised banks to pay on their behalf.
“The state government has no authority to do that. They have called a meeting of the nationalised banks and asked them to pay up. They are looting the banks. We condemn the Congress,” said the Minister.