Farmers’ loans will be waived within ten days if voted to power: Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressed poll campaign rallies in Wardha and Chandrapur on Friday and tried to woo the voters with promises galore. “Congress will launch Nyay Scheme to uplift poor of the country by depositing Rs 72,000 per year into their bank accounts. The scheme is well thought out by the think-tank of the Congress party and it will benefit 20 per cent population of the country,” said Rahul Gandhi, President of the Congress Committee. He went on to promise a separate budget for farmers. “Farmers won’t be put into jail if they are not able to repay bank loans. The youths who want to start business would be given various exemptions for the initial period of three years,” he said. Gandhi assured that every farmer’s loan will be waived within 10 days if Congress came to power, as was done in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

“There is lot of money in the country,” he declared. Gandhi was addressing the rally for party candidates from Arni-Wani-Chandrapur constituency Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar and Namdeo Usendi from Gadchiroli constituency. Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President, Vijay Wadettiwar, MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly, Subhash Dhote, District Congress Chief, Ashish Duwa, senior Congress leader, Manohar Paunkar, President of Chandrapur District Central Cooperative Bank, Harish Kottawar, District President of Youth Congress, Shiva Rao, Youth leader, Satish Warjurkar, ex-President of Chandrapur Zilla Parishad, Avinash Warjurkar, ex-MLA, Ghanshyam Mulchandani, ex-Civic Chief of Ballarpur Municipal Council, Sandeep Gadamwar, District President of NCP, Sudarshan Nimkar, Vinod Dattatraya, Moreshwar Temburde, Dr Vijay Deotale were present on the stage. Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi alleged that crores of rupees were given in form of economic benefits to 15 businessmen but the Government failed to give complete loan-waiver to poor farmers.

Taking a jibe at the PM he asked the crowd if they had ever seen a ‘Chowkidar’ in front of a farmer’s house. Gandhi cornered BJP Government on corruption, unemployment and rate to farm produce. He also poke on how the country suffered due to demonetisation and that the decision led to closure of several small scale industries and left lakhs of people employed. He also accused BJP of crippling economic growth with GST on fuel price hike.

At the rally in Wardha in favour of Congress-NCP candidate Charulata Tokas, Rahul Gandhi said that when Narendra Modi addressed a poll rally in Wardha couple of days ago, he did not speak about the promises made by his party during last election because it had failed to keep them. Addressing a crowd at the ground of Swawlambi Vidyalaya, the AICC Chairman said, “Five years ago, Modi had given many assurances at this very venue during poll campaigning but none were kept.

The promises made to farmers, farm labourers, unemployed and businessmen in last five years, but they too have met the same fate. While the farmers are being harassed by banks for loan recovery, tycoons like Nirav Modi and Anil Ambani are being protected.”He alleged that it was a suited-booted Government which had no time to look towards plight of poor farmers. Gandhi further said that demonetisation hit the poor and middle class the most. Stressing that he never makes false promises, Gandhi said every poor person in the country will get Rs 72,000 deposited per year into his/her account if Congress is voted to power. He also promised 22 lakh jobs, 10 lakh of which would be on panchayat samiti level. MPCC President Ashok Chavan, Shetkari Swabhimani’s MP Shetty, NCP’s ex-MLA Suresh Deshmukh, ex-MLA Raju Timande, ex- minister Naseer Khan, RPI leader Jogendra Kawade, Rajendra Gavai, Atul Londhe, Anandrao Gharad, Shekhar Shende, Adv Charulata Tokas.