B.S. Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister and BJP State president, has ruled out chances of the Union government waiving off farm loans borrowed from nationalised banks. “Right now, the issue of waiving farm loans is not before the Central government,” he said, and added that he would stage a hunger protest in Bengaluru to demand that the State government waive off the loans availed by farmers from cooperative banks.
At a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Yeddyurappa said he and other leaders of the party had made the maximum effort to get the loans waived off by the Centre. “Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the State governments have to mobilise funds required to waive off the farm loans. However, the Union government has been helping the farm sector in many other ways including the Fasal Bima Yojana and subsidy for fertilisers,” he said.
He said the State government had to come to the rescue of farmers by waiving off farm loans from cooperative banks. “I will stage a hunger protest in Bengaluru from July 7 to pressurize the State government. After three days of protest, a massive rally of farmers will be held in Bengaluru on July 10. More than 4 lakh people will participate in the rally,” he said.
Mr. Yeddyurappa lost his cool when a journalist pointed out that waiving off only loans borrowed from cooperative banks would not be a big help to farmers, as a large number of them had borrowed loans from nationalised banks. Raising his voice, he said, “I am not questioning your right to question, but you cannot drag out the same issue for long. I have already answered it.”
Cattle slaughter
Defending the Union government’s stand on banning cattle slaughter, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that 24 states in the country had banned cattle slaughter. “Our party believes in implementing what Mahatma Gandhi wished soon after India got Independence”, he said. When asked about the point of having meals in Dalit colonies when the party bans beef that is part of the food culture of Dalits, Mr. Yeddyurappa replied, “Why should people have beef, when many other food items are available?”
Party leaders C.T. Ravi, Tejasvini Ramesh, Yoga Ramesh, Vamanacharya and others were present.
‘Political gimmick’
Mr. Yeddyurappa had breakfast at the home of Prakash in the Dalit colony of Tattekere near Hassan on Friday. The programme was organised as part of Mr. Yeddyurappa’s State tour.
Prakash, an autorickshaw driver, and his wife, Rukmini, served akki rotti and upma to the former CM. Prakash told The Hindu, “My wife had prepared ragi rotti, akki rotti and upma – food items we normally have for breakfast. Mr. Yeddyurappa had akki rotti and upma.”
Earlier, as the BJP leaders entered the village, a few Dalit leaders waved black flags. Opposing the former CM’s programme of eating at Dalit colonies, the protesters raised slogans against him, calling the programme a political gimmick.
