Cong duping farmers: Javadekar

The BJP Monday accused the Congress of "duping" farmers in states ruled by it by "not" waiving off their loans as promised and dubbed the party as "anti-farmers".

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the Congress had promised waiver of all farm debt in the five states of Karnataka,Punjab,Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan but has now turned back on its promise.

He told reporters that the Congress had promised a waiver of Rs 45,000 crore of farmers' loan in Karnataka but had not paid even Rs 75 crore.

Farmers in debt are feeling distressed and have been served notices by banks, Javadekar said, further alleging that 397 farmers have committed suicide in the six-month reign of the JD(S)-Congress government.

Against the total farmers loan of RS 90,000 crore, the state's Congress government has not allocated even Rs 3 crore in the budget, he said.

"The Congress is anti-farmers. It has duped ryots in the name of waiving their loans," he told reporters.