BSY slams govt over budget row, farm loan waiver delay

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly B S Yeddyurappa on Monday attacked the Congress-JD(S) coalition over the squabbling on the budget, which he said had left farmers in “a state of confusion.”

Yeddyurappa, who is mounting pressure on the government to waive farmers’ loans, was referring to differences between the alliance partners Congress and the JD(S) on tabling a full-fledged budget.

While Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy wants to present a fresh budget, his predecessor and coalition coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah has said a supplementary budget will suffice. “Add to this, you have Congress leaders taking a different stand on the budget. This government is a confused house. Kumaraswamy came to power due to greed. Now, we see he is going back and forth on his promise of waiving farm loans,” Yeddyurappa told reporters.

The BJP, he said, has decided to wait till Kumaraswamy presents his budget. “I have informed the party leadership everything that is happening. We’ll wait for the budget.” The saffron party had, earlier, announced a state-wide protest if Kumaraswamy failed to implement a farm loan waiver.

The BJP state president said the previous Siddaramaiah government, which wrote off short-term farm loans, had not reimbursed Rs 3,500 crore to Rs 4,000 crore to cooperative banks. “As a result, farmers aren’t able to get fresh loans, especially with the start of the sowing season,” Yeddyurappa said.

He also hit out at Kumaraswamy for urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chip in with 50% of the cost for farm loan waiver. “BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra waived loans without any help from the Centre.”

Yeddyurappa urged Kumaraswamy to “go through” his poll promises before presenting his budget. “He will realise that reality is completely different.”