New Delhi, Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, here on Monday, criticised Congress President Rahul Gandhi for promising farm loan waiver and the minimum income guarantee scheme (NYAY) and accused him of being a “habitual liar”.
Addressing a press conference, Chouhan urged the people not to fall in Gandhi’s “trap” in the Lok Sabha polls. “The Congress makes false promises to win elections and keeps the poor in a dilemma. This was the reason the lives of poor did not improve in all these years. The Congress President has made a new record in speaking lies and misleading people. He has become a habitual liar,” Chouhan said.
Accusing the Congress government in MP of deceiving people over farm loan waiver, he said, “Rahul Gandhi had promised to waive loans of farmers within 10 days of the formation of the government. It has been more than three months, but loans stand and farmers are still suffering.”
Referring to Gandhi’s poll promise that if farm loans in the state weren’t waived he would change the chief minister, Chouhan said, “If Rahul Gandhi had been committed to his words, he would have changed 10 chief ministers in the state. But he knows that if he changes the Chief Minister, the Congress government will fall,” he said.
In the runup to the MP Assembly polls, Gandhi had promised to waive farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh. “The Congress promised to waive Rs 48,000 crore loans. Only Rs 5,000 crore was sanctioned in the budget, and just Rs 1,300 crore has been released to banks. This is how Congress is fulfilling its promise,” he said.
Chouhan said the state government’s claim to have waived loans of 55 lakh farmers was “false”.
The BJP Vice-President also slammed NYAY, promised by Gandhi, and claimed it was going to meet the fate of the loan waiver promises made to farmers.
Under NYAY, the Congress has promised to disburse Rs 72,000 each to 20 per cent of India’s poorest families.
Asked about the likely Lok Sabha seat he would be contesting, Chouhan said, “My wish is to work in MP. I will accept whatever the party decides.”
It’s being speculated that Chouhan could be fielded from Bhopal to take on former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.
He is also a strong contender from Vidisha, a constituency that he has represented in the past. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who represents Vidisha now, is not keen to contest elections this time.
The BJP has not announced candidates for Bhopal and Vidisha seats.