Modi govt strengthened cooperatives movement, extended 3 times more help to farmers: Shah

Claiming that his party has strengthened the cooperatives movement in the country, BJP president Amit Shah said Saturday the Modi government has extended three times more help to farmers when compared to the previous UPA government.

"The previous UPA government of Sonia (Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh had extended loans worth Rs 23,635 crore to farmers through cooperatives, while the present Modi government has extended a help of Rs 72,051 crore which is three times more," Shah said, addressing the Sahkarita Sammelan of his party here.

"In five years, the Sonia-Manmohan government being run with the support of SP and BSP managed this... Can you imagine how much the cooperatives movement has been strengthened in the country (after that)," he asked.

The BJP president also took a dig at the Congress president, saying "Rahul baba makes fun of us, says farmers debt has to be waived. We have done and shown in Uttar Pradesh; you (Congress) had promised in Karnataka that Rs 48,000-crore worth (farm loans) will be waived but could manage only Rs 1,800 crore."