Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra on Wednesday alleged that erstwhile Congress government had failed to waive loans of farmers as promised by Rahul Gandhi during campaigning for 2018 Assembly elections.
Mishra also dismissed state Congress president Kamal Nath's claims that lakhs of farmers were benefited by the farm loan waiver.
"Ahead of the polls, Rahul Gandhi had announced that farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh will be waived per farmer in the state within 10 days of his party coming to power. I appeal to you (media persons) to go and ask any ten farmers in any village in front of camera about the relaity of the waiver," Mishra told reporters.
Former chief minister Kamal Nath had on Tuesday said the incumbent BJP government had accepted in the Legislative Assembly that the previous Congress dispensation had waived loans worth Rs 11,600 crore in two phases of 26.95 lakh farmers.
Responding to Nath's statement, Mishra said the previous government headed by Nath had actually waived "loan worth only Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000".
"Actually, this was what informed in the state Legislative Assembly," he said.
Mishra was in Indore to participate in a programme for distribution of assistance under the state government's Sambal Yojana.
He alleged that the scheme, which provides social security cover to the poor and the SC and ST communities, was closed when Nath was chief minister.
"Nath is a big man. He is an industrialist who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. How will he understand pains of the poor?" he said.
Mishra said the scheme was restored after Shivraj Singh Chouhan came to power.
