Digvijaya's brother seeks apology from Rahul over loan waiver

Congress MLA Lakshman Singh, younger brother of senior party leader Digvijaya Singh, on Thursday demanded apology from Rahul Gandhi for 'not fulfilling' the promise of farm loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh.

Gandhi, speaking at a farmers' rally at Mandsaur in June 2018, had promised loan waiver within ten days of the Congress coming to power in the then BJP-ruled state.

"Farm loans were not waived even after eight months, let alone ten days," Lakshman Singh told PTI here.

"Farmers are going to banks with waiver certificates issued by the state government. But the banks are refusing to waive the loans, saying they haven't received money from the government," the Congress MLA said.

"Rahul Gandhi should return to the same platform where he had promised to implement loan waiver within ten days if elected to power, and apologise to the people," he said.

Singh, a five-time MP and currently MLA from Chanchoda, further said, "This (apology) would make his (Gandhi's) stature taller.

"He should also clarify how long it will take to waive all farm loans, as promised," Singh added.

The Kamal Nath government in the state needs to arrange Rs 45,000 crore to fulfill the promise of loan waiver and it may take up to two years, he claimed.

"It was not possible to implement the scheme within such a short period (ten days)," he added.

Rahul Gandhi, then Congress chief, had promised loan waiver at a rally at Mandsaur on the first anniversary of death of six persons in police firing during a farmers' agitation on June 6, 2017.

In November 2018 assembly elections, the Congress ousted the BJP from power and formed government after 15 years.