Rahul Gandhi slams govt’s cash transfer scheme, promises farm loan waiver across India

Rahul Gandhi congratulated the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for announcing a farm loan waiver immediately after coming to power. He promised a farm loan waiver across India if Congress comes to power in 2019.

The NDA government’s budget announcement to provide income support to farmers came under attack from Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. In his budget speech, finance minister Piyush Goyal had said that 12 crore farmers would be given ₹6,000 cash benefits every year.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi during 'Jan Akanksha Rally' at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on February 3. (PTI Photo)

“The Modi government gives crores of rupees to the corrupt but only announces ₹17 per day for poor farmers,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Addressing Congress’s first rally at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan after 28 years, the Congress chief announced that Patna university will be granted the status of central university if the Congress comes to power after 2019 polls.

Rahul Gandhi said the BJP makes promises while Congress keeps them. “Is there anyone here who received ₹15 lakh in their bank account, like Mr. Modi promised? A farmer’s family got only ₹17/day in the new budget,” he said.

“Within days of coming to power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh we announced farm loan waivers. In MP, we did it in hours,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress president also trained his guns on Nitish Kumar government in Bihar and said the BJP-JD(U) alliance will be thrown out of power in the next state polls.

“Education, employment and agricultural opportunities were stolen away from Bihar. When Bihar’s youths got to BJP-ruled states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra, they are beaten up and chased away,” he said.