Farm loan waiver: Kumaraswamy slams BSY for double standards

JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy took a potshots at Yeddyurappa for his double standards over agrarian loan waiver issue saying, “When he was chief minister, Yeddyurappa had said that it is impossible to write off farm loans but is now assuring them of waiving it within 24 hours of coming to power.”

Speaking to reporters here, Kumaraswamy said the statements issued by Yeddyurappa in this regard had been recorded in the Legislative Assembly in 2008.

 “Yeddyurappa had said that it’s not possible to waive farmers loans for any reason. There is no rule that says it is compulsory to waive the loans. The Centre has not given me a currency printing machine,” Kumaraswamy said.

Pointing out to the recent statements made by Yeddyurappa who said he would waive loans availed by farmers from cooperative societies, Kumaraswamy questioned if, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him a note printing machine now.”

With regard to elections, Kumaraswamy said he would contest from Ramanagaram in the 2018 Assembly polls and that the question of changing the constituency never arises. A few party workers are exerting pressure on me to contest from one of the constituencies in North Karnataka.

“I have not taken any decision in this regard,” he said. On a few JD(S) leaders quitting the party, Kumaraswamy said, it is common for people to leave the party and join the party during elections. It is not a big issue, he added.