BJP paralyses assembly proceedings over farm loan waiver

: The Karnataka assembly witnessed repeated adjournments Thursday as the opposition BJP staged a protest for the second day, seeking clarity from the government on the farm loan waiver scheme.

BJP members also squatted in the well of the House, demanding that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy apologise to the leader of the opposition B S Yeddyurappa for his comments against him during the debate in the assembly on Wednesday.

As the House met for the day, BJP members trooped into the well, shouting slogans like "down down to the anti-farmer government", "loan waiver should be implemented".

Hitting back, members of the treasury benches asked what moral right the BJP members had to call the government anti-farmer when they had done nothing for the farming community and farm loan waiver.

With heated exchanges between both sides, pandemonium broke out.

The BJP has sought clarity from Kumaraswamy on loan waiver and the exact day by which debt free certificates would be issued to farmers.

They also want him to apologise to Yeddyurappa for accusing him of colluding with nationalised banks, who, they said, are now non-committal on their earlier one-time settlement offer to NPA accounts.

Yeddyurappa said that the BJP has cooperated with the government for the smooth functioning of the House from the day the session began on December 10.

"We behaved as a responsible national party, but in return I was humiliated for questioning this government over lack of clarity on farm loan waiver," he said.

Farmers' suicides was the major 'achievement' of this government, Yeddyurappa said.

He said Kumaraswamy and his ministers were claiming that about Rs 45,000 crore farm loans had been waived in the last six months, but had only waivedRs 50 crore from nationalised banks till now. There was no clarity from cooperative banks also, he said.

The Chief Minister's reply had no seriousness or clarity, and when questioned, "he has insulted me", Yeddyurappa said.

"The Chief Minister has to apologise for his remarks and clarify on farm loan waiver. Until then our protest will continue," he said.

BJP members continued their protest in the well, following which the Speaker Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House.

When the House resumed after a gap of over an hour, BJP members continued with their slogans "down down to anti farmer government", "loan waiver should be implemented".

As the Speaker's repeated attempts to pacify BJP MLAs failed, he adjourned the House till lunch.

When the House resumed in the post-lunch session, BJP persisted with its protest and Congress members tooshouted slogans against the opposition.

The Speaker then adjourned the House till tomorrow.