The BJP on Monday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi “a shameless liar” and cautioned people against believing in his Rs 72,000 minimum annual income scheme in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, saying that Rahul's promise for farmers loan waiver is yet to be fulfilled by his party's government in Madhya Pradesh and other states.
BJP vice president and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Rahul of “misleading” people with his “false” poll promises and “lies” to secure votes in favour of his party.
“The Congress president gave assurance for the waiver of farmers loan in Madhya Pradesh and other states within 10 days of the formation of his party's government. It has been 104 days since the Congress formed its government in Madhya Pradesh. Farmers loan in the state is yet to be waived,” he said.
Chouhan was addressing a press conference here at the BJP headquarters.
“Rahul is now telling another lie by assuring people of conducting a surgical strike on poverty and giving Nyay (Nyuntam Aay Yojna) if the Congress is voted to power. He should stop fooling people,” he told reporters.
While Rahul claims that his assurance for farm loan waiver has been fulfilled, lakhs of farmers in Madhya Pradesh have received the state government's message on their mobile phones stating that the processing of their loan waiver application has been put on hold due to the model code of conduct coming in force, the BJP leader said.
“Rahul speaks lies with confidence. When I ask farmers in my state, 'why did you punish me (voted against the BJP in Assembly polls)?' they say, they actually fell for the Congress' loan waiver promise. The Congress will be punished for its lies in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
The BJP leader noted that the model code of conduct clearly stipulates that an ongoing scheme can be continued when beneficiaries have been identified.
“How will you waive farmers loan when there is no fund for it. It appears Kamal Nath was waiting for the election commission to enforce model code of conduct so that he gets rid of this problem,” he added.
Against Rs 48,000 crore required for the loan waiver, Chouhan said, the state government has allocated just Rs 5,000 crore for it in the budget.
Out of Rs 5,000 crore, Rs 600 crore has been given to cooperative banks and Rs 700 crore to other banks.
“The banks are now sending notices to the farmers demanding for immediate repayment of loans. A debt-ridden farmer recently committed suicide in Ujjain. They (the Congress) fooled the farmers not just in Madhya Pradesh but in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh too. People will not forgive them,” he added.
