Ahead of Karnataka budget, Rahul Gandhi tweets his expectations on farm loan waiver

A day before HD Kumaraswamy-led JDS-Congress government presents its first budget in the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to microblogging site Twitter on Wednesday to say that he hopes the government would act on its commitment.

The Congress party president exhumed confidence that the budget by the Congress-JDS coalition government would waive farmer loans and make farming more profitable as a profession.

“On the eve of the Karnataka Budget, I’m confident our Congress-JDS coalition Govt will act on our commitment to waive farmer loans & to make farming more profitable. This budget is an opportunity for our Govt. to make Karnataka a beacon of hope for farmers all across India,” tweeted the Gandhi scion.

On the eve of the Karnataka Budget, I’m confident our Congress-JDS coalition Govt will act on our commitment to waive farmer loans & to make farming more profitable.

This budget is an opportunity for our Govt. to make Karnataka a beacon of hope for farmers all across India. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 4, 2018

The tweet by the Congress president comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the state government over Governor Vajubhai Vala’s address to the joint session of the legislature at the onset of the budget session.

Pointing that the Governor did not mention about farm loan waiver, BJP’s state unit president BS Yeddyurappa said in a statement, “The governor's maiden address to the 15th newly constituted assembly has disappointed thousands of farmers across the state as they were hoping for an assurance on the farm loan waiver in it.”

However, the JDS defended the Governor's address, with a senior party leader telling news agency IANS that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy would announce the farm loan waiver on July 5 when he presents the state budget for fiscal 2018-19 along with other welfare schemes and programmes.

"As farm loan waiver is a part of the budget proposals, the Governor's address cannot not have such policy decisions. It is the Chief Minister's prerogative to declare on the floor of the house as part of his budget speech," said the party official, preferring anonymity.