Govt waives loans of industrialists but not of farmers: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday slammed the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra for not giving a full loan waiver to farmers.

He was speaking at an NCP workers' meeting in Jalna city ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls.

"The government did not grant full loan waiver to farmers, but waived loans of industrialists who cheated banks," the former Union agriculture minister said.

NCP leaders Dhananjay Munde and MLA Rajesh Tope were also present at the meeting.

The Union government gave "Rs86,000 crore" to the industrialists who cheated banks, but did not offer any relief to farmers who were committing suicide, Pawar alleged.

Due to the wrong policies of the Narendra Modi government, factories were closing down and unemployment was on rise, the NCP chief said.

He also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that he did not camp in flood-affected western Maharashtra and ensured that relief work was taking place properly.

During the 1993 Latur earthquake, when he (Pawar) was chief minister, he had rushed to the district and stayed put there for several days to oversee relief operations, Pawar said.

"Fadnavis made only aerial survey of flood-affected areas," he said.

The NCP chief also slammed the BJP-led state government's plan to convert 25 forts into tourist attractions.

"These forts remind us of the glory of our past, how can they convert these forts into hotels," he said.

Munde, in his speech, said the BJP had tamed the Shiv Sena's "tiger" into a "street dog".

Tiger is the emblem of the Sena, a BJP ally.

Munde also hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement questioning Sharad Pawar's contribution to Maharashtra's development.

"If I go to Gujarat and say something against Amit Shah, what will happen, would the people of Gujarat tolerate it?" he asked the gathering.