'Loan waiver not a burden: HDK

The chief minister’s statement is the height of arrogance, the former chief minister said.
He was speaking to reporters during a visit to the spot where pomegranate growers from Koppal district are holding a protest demanding waiver of loans.

“Yeddyurappa is the first chief minister who says farm loan waiver is impossible even as he grants crores of rupees for installing statues,” Kumaraswamy said.

The former chief minister said that it should not be burden for a government that comes up with a budget of Rs one lakh crore to waive of a Rs 73-crore loan of the pomegranate growers.

Kumaraswamy said the BJP government had no concern for the poor and the farmers. He termed the agriculture budget just a drama and claimed that farm loans to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore had been waived of during his tenure as chief minister.

He  also criticised the Centre for giving tax exemption to the tune of Rs 24 lakh crore to industrialists, but not considering the problems of the farming community seriously.

Speaking at a public meet in Koppal, Kumaraswamy challenged the chief minister that he is ready to be hanged in public if the charges of corruption, misuse of power or owning even an inch of land illegally against his family members are proved.

“Let Yeddyurappa prove land grabbing instances in the State during my tenure as chief minister or my father’s (H D Deve Gowda) tenure as prime minister. I am ready to be hanged if the charges are proved,” Kumaraswamy said.