After Kokate and Ajit, BJP minister Vikhe-Patil faces flak for remarks on farm loan waivers

“This process of creating a society, taking loans, getting the loans waived and demanding a loan waiver again after getting indebted has been going on for many years,” said Vikhe-Patil said

MUMBAI: Senior BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is in the eye of a storm after his comment yesterday on farmers and loan waivers. The water resources minister remarked that farmers took loans, got them waived, and then got into debt again, a process that had been going on for years. Similarly uncharitable remarks were made earlier by former agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who also got immense flak.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil addresses a press conference after Congress Core Committee meeting, in Mumbai, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade) (PTI3_14_2019_000068B) (PTI)

“This process of creating a society, taking loans, getting the loans waived and demanding a loan waiver again after getting indebted has been going on for many years,” said Vikhe-Patil, taking a jibe at the agrarian community. Within moments, however, he realised his mistake and continued, “Our government has already declared that farm loans will be waived and there is no problem with this.”

The remarks were slammed by Dr Ajit Nawale, farmer leader and general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS). “Before elections, politicians promise loan waivers and seek votes, but once farmer organisations demand that the promises be fulfilled, they are harassed. This cycle continues,” he said. Nawale was referring to the Mahayuti coalition, which, in the run-up to the state assembly elections, declared a loan waiver for farmers but has failed to announce this even after completing almost one year in power.

Lambasting the Mahayuti further, Nawale said, “Vikhe Patil blames the farmers. The government implements exploitative policies against farmers, manipulates import-export policies and lowers prices in the name of inflation. Instead of helping farmers, the government’s policy is to inflate the profits of crop insurance companies, which is why farmers are becoming indebted.”

Following the criticism, Vikhe-Patil claimed that he was surprised to see how much his statement had been “distorted”. “During the elections to the gram panchayat and cooperative societies, people often take loans but there is no productivity that comes from them,” he said. “I had said, in the context of these elections, that people take loans, fall into debt again and then demand loan waivers once more. It was purely in the contest of the elections.” The BJP too attempted to defend Vikhe-Patil, with state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule saying that his statement had been misinterpreted.

Earlier, the NCP’s agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate was removed from the agriculture department following his remarks against farmers. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar also faced much flak for his remarks that farmers wanted everything free and were getting used to freebies.