In Mandsaur, Rahul promises loan waiver in 10 days if Congress comes to power

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday promised farmers' loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh within 10 days if his party comes to power and slammed the central and state governments over the plight of the agriculturists.

"Kamal Nath (MP Congress president) and Jyotiraditya Scindia (the state poll campaign committee chairman) are sitting here. The day, the Congress comes to power in MP, count 10 days, I say with guarantee that farmers' loan will be waived within 10 days. It won't take even the eleventh day," Gandhi asserted.

The Congress leader was addressing a rally at Pipliya Mandi in Mandsaur district where six farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on this day last year.

Virtually kicking off his party's campaign for the assembly election due towards the end of the year, Gandhi said if the Congress comes to power in MP, those responsible for the deaths of the six farmers would face strict action within 10 days.

"In the entire country, farmers are demanding their rights, yelling and committing suicide, but the Modi government and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government in the states have little space for them," the Congress chief said.

The National Democratic Alliance government in Delhi, Gandhi alleged, has waived Rs 2.5 lakh crore of 15 industrialists, but not even one rupee has been waived for the farmers by the Union government or the BJP-led state governments.

Contrasting this, he said the governments in Punjab and Karnataka, where the Congress is in power, have already waived the farmers' loans.

Gandhi recalled that the previous United Progressive Alliance government had waived farmers' loans worth Rs 70,000 crore, "which is a record."

He said he had met Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in his office "only once" when he led a farmers' delegation to seek help for the agricultural community, but there was no assurance.

Attacking Modi for his alleged proximity to businessmen, Gandhi declared that the prime minister has no time for farmers and common people.

The people of the country are his first priority, Gandhi said, party workers come second, and Congress leaders come third.