PM can waive Rs 3.5 lakh cr loans of bizmen, but not farm

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of 'forgiving' Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of powerful businessmen in the country while not waiving the farmers loans.

Addressing a public meeting in this temple town, he also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reneging on his assurance of providing special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

He promised to accord the status to Andhra Pradesh if the Congress was voted to power in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

On the farm loan waiver, he said Congress implemented its promise in this regard in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgargh.

"We showed from where the money came from" by implementing the loan waiver on which the BJP MPs had expressed scepticism, the Congress chief said.

"Modi can forgive Rs 3.5 lakh crore and give loan waivers to the most powerful businessmen in the country but cannot forgive the farmers' loans," he charged.

Gandhi said it did not matter to him whether the Congress was in power in the state or not, but the special category status would be honoured.

"Congress will fulfil the commitment given on the special category status...If the Congress is voted to power, nothing will stop it from giving it to Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Ruling TDP in the state had walked out of the BJP-led NDA and withdrew support to the Modi government last year over the issue of the special category status.

Noting that the promise was given in 2014 by a person who was now the prime minister, the Congress chief said it was not only his party that would be fulfilling it but the entire nation.

Referring to the alleged scam in the Rafael deal, Gandhi reiterated his charge that Modi gave Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani of Reliance and overlooked public sector HAL.

The charge has been rejected by the government and Ambani.