Give Maha loan waiver figures on Rs100 stamp paper, Oppn dares CM; Fadnavis says will do it

The debate over farm loan waiver and agrarian crisis led to clashes in both houses of the state legislature on the first day of the winter session in Nagpur on Monday.

The debate over farm loan waiver and agrarian crisis led to clashes in both houses of the state legislature on the first day of the winter session in Nagpur on Monday.

Opposition MLAs protest in Nagpur on Monday. (HT)

As the session began, leaders of Opposition in both the houses sought a debate on farmers’ distress, setting aside the business on the agenda. When the government struck down the demand, leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil attacked the state, saying the figures of loan waiver were fake. He dared chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to put the number of beneficiaries and waiver amount on a Rs-100 stamp paper and their website.

In response, the CM said in the Assembly he could put the numbers down on Rs-1,000 stamp paper too. “Don’t shed crocodile tears. The UPA government waived loans worth Rs72,000-crore all over the country one decade ago. The loan waiver benefits we gave to Buldhana district alone are more than the entire amount granted for Vidarbha region during the UPA regime,” he said.

In the upper house, leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde alleged the government was insensitive when farmers were facing challenges such as deaths because of poisonous insecticides, attack of bollworm on cotton and debts.

The government countered the allegations, saying it was doing everything possible and the plight of the farmers was the result of 15-year rule of the parties that are now in the Opposition.

Opposition members from Congress and NCP, led by Vijay Wadettiwar, Jitendra Ahwad, Sunil Kedar and others, created a ruckus in the House by trooping into the well and shouting slogans against the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pandemonium prevailed in the legislative council over the issue, which witnessed four adjournments. The Opposition alleged the government was not serious about the agrarian crisis, while treasury benches said the opposition was politicising the issue. The uproar finally led to the adjournment for the day.

NCP MP Supriya Sule suffers minor injuries in scuffle with police

Nationalist Congress Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Supriya Sule suffered a minor injury to her hand during a rasta roko agitation in Nagpur on Monday.

The incident took place during the Halla Bol march launched by the NCP. The anti-government protest march started from Yavatmal a few days ago and reached Nagpur on Monday.

When police tried to disperse the mob, Sule suffered a minor injury to her hands. She was detained by the police, but later released on bail.

The police arrested other NCP leaders, including Anil Deshmukh, Anand Paranjape and Sandeep Bajoria.

The march, which was launched by NCP chief Sharad Pawar 10 days ago, will culminate in a massive public rally on Tuesday.

Yavatmal was chosen as the spot to launch the march as it is a major cotton-growing region and witnesses a majority of farmer suicides.

The government had announced a Rs34,000-crore loan waiver scheme for needy and distressed farmers. However, the actual number of farmers who are expected to benefit from the loan waiver is less than previous estimates of the government, as revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said that at least 10-lakh bank accounts of farmers were fake.

The NCP wants every farmer in the state should get the benefit of the scheme.