Rahul Gandhi promises farm loan waiver in 10 days if Congress comes to power in MP

Congress President Rahul Gandhi was in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur on Wednesday where he addressed a public rally to commemorate the death of farmers killed in police firing during an agitation last year.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi gestures during a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur. Photo: Twitter, INCIndia

BHOPAL: Congress President Rahul Gandhi was in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur on Wednesday where he addressed a public rally to commemorate the death of farmers killed in police firing during an agitation last year. Rahul started his speech during the "Kisan Samriddhi Sankalp" rally by remembering the six farmers who lost their lives in police firing and went on to questioned the state government on the delay in filing a probe report into the incident. Later, he alleged that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had failed to provide security to farmers and address their concerns. During his speech, Rahul announced that the farmers' loan would be waived within 10 days if his party comes to power in Madhya Pradesh later this year. "Here Kamal Nath (MP Congress President) and Jyotiraditya Scindia (the State poll campaign committee chairman) are sitting. I want to assure you that within 10-days of coming to power in Madhya Pradesh, the government will waive (farmers') loan," Rahul said.

Congress President @RahulGandhi addresses the Kisan Samriddhi Sankalp Rally in Mandsaur #JusticeForFarmers https://t.co/7DByDvxcQm

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 6, 2018

The Congress president said the families of the farmers (killed in Mandsaur last year) will get justice in 10 days and action will be taken against those responsible for the firing, if Congress voted to power. Rahul also lashed out at the Central government for ignoring the farm distress across the country. "Prime Minister waived off loan worth Rs. 1.5 lakh crore of just 15 businessmen, but when I requested him to waive off farm loans, his remained silent," he told the gathering. Attacking the Shivraj government he said: "The governments are of no use if they cannot provide security to farmers and their families. A total of 1,200 farmers committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh. Did any rich person or their family member commit suicide who have lakhs of crores as debt." The term of the 230-member assembly is coming to an end in January 2019 and polls are due in the state later this year. In the last assembly elections, BJP emerged as the winner with 165 seats followed by the Congress and the BSP with 58 and 4 seats. According to a survey conducted by ABP News last month, the Congress was performing rather well in the state being ahead of the BJP by a comfortable margin of 15 per cent vote share. The Congress was likely to get 49 per cent vote share and the BJP could only secure 34 per cent of votes, if elections to the 230-member assembly were held last month, the survey had projected. The Congress is out of power in the state since 2004.