Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh has lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making a mockery of the plight of India’s debt-ridden farmers.
Amarinder dismissed the farmer loan waiver promise to Uttar Pradesh farmers as a poll gimmick with an eye on the votes of the large farming community in the state.
Questioning the timing of Modi’s promise of waiver of farm loans in UP if his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state, Amarinder accused the prime minister of indulging in electoral politics at the cost of the lives of hundreds of farmers.
"Had the Modi-led Central government been sincere in its concern over the plight of the farmers reeling under debt burdens it would have by now waived off the loans of farmers across the country, including Punjab" said that the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief.
"Modi could easily have announced farm loan waiver on behalf of the Central government, as was done by Manmohan Singh under the UPA regime", Amarinder pointed out, recalling that the Congress had waived off Rs.70,000 crore of farmers’ loans when it was in power.
"It was evident that the farm debt waiver promise made by the prime minister during electioneering in UP and targeted only at farmers of that state was nothing more than a ploy to garner votes for his party", the Punjab Congress chief ministerial candidate added.
Amarinder reiterated his promise of waiving the loans of all farmers and agricultural labourers in Punjab, with or without the Central government’s support, once the Congress comes to power in the state.
Amarinder pointed out that Modi had, even in his New Year eve address to the nation on December 31, 2016, announced only partial relief for farmers, giving a 60-day interest waiver to farmers who had taken loans from district cooperative banks.
"Why did the prime minister not announce a sweeping debt waiver for farmers across the
country then?" asked the PPCC president.