Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday flagged off his pet scheme of crop loan waiver by symbolically giving away debt-free certificates to five farmers at Doddaballapur, about 40 km from here.

With this, Kumaraswamy may have snatched a major weapon the BJP had, to target him at of the winter session of the legislature in Belagavi that starts December 10. The BJP had accused Kumaraswamy of failing to deliver his poll promise of waiving farm loans.

“The BJP wants to assemble more than one lakh farmers in Belagavi for a protest, but what have they done for farmers? Our government has waived farmers’ loans worth Rs 45,000 crore. We’re giving them debt-free certificates at their doorsteps,” Kumaraswamy said during the event.

At Sedam in Kalaburagi district, Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge issued debt-free certificates to some farmers.

The crop loan waiver has been implemented in Doddaballapur and Sedam taluks - Vokkaliga and Lingayat heartlands, respectively - as part of a pilot. In all, 44 lakh farmers will have their crop loans waived from both nationalised and cooperative banks.

Kumaraswamy also hit out at the BJP for criticising him over dues that sugar factories owe cane growers. “BJP leaders who own sugar factories have not kept their oral promise to farmers of paying of Rs 3,000-3,500 per tonne of sugarcane. How can I take action now,” he asked.

The chief minister reiterated that he would see through the full implementation of the crop loan waiver. “I have established a separate cell for it, headed by an IAS officer. I request farmers to have patience.”

Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumaraswamy said the Centre had no respect towards farmers.

“Farmers from Tamil Nadu protested naked outside Jantar Mantar. They even drank urine. Still, the PM showed no sensitivity. What has Modi done for farmers at all?”