New Delhi, May 3: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of letting down farmers in Karnataka and gave him 'F' Grade in a report card, saying there was no contribution from the Centre to the state's farm loan waiver.
Gandhi said that the Prime Minister's crop insurance scheme had made the "farmers suffer" while filling the coffers of the private insurance companies which have made "huge profits".
He tweeted that the Congress will, in the next five years, create a unique "Agricultural Corridor" for 10 agro climatic zones in the state to develop sustainable agri businesses.
The Congress chief said the farmers did not receive price of crops at 50 per cent above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"Contribution to Congress state governments 8,500 crore Farm Loan waiver = 0 Rs.
"PM's crop insurance scheme: Farmers suffer; (private) insurance companies make huge profits.
"No MSP+50%, for Karnataka farmers. Grade = F,"
He said the Congress government in the state had launched several schemes that has helped farmers.
"Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Dhare, Krishi Yantra Dhare, Surya Raitha and Loan waivers improved the lives of Karnataka's farmers. In the next 5 years, INC will create a unique 'Agricultural Corridor' for 10 agro climatic zones to develop sustainable agri businesses," he said.
The attack came ahead of polling for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, to be held on May 12. The results will be declared on May 15.
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Nagpur, Jan 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar praised the RSS after realising how the outfit managed to overcome the fake narrative spread by the opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The opposition had claimed BJP wanted to win 400 seats to change the Constitution and end reservations, a narrative which BJP leaders later claimed hit the party hard.
On Pawar praising the RSS recently, the CM said the MVA was successful in creating a fake narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"When assembly polls were approaching, many people from diverse fields who are inspired by the RSS played their role and burst the balloon of this fake narrative. Sharad Pawar saheb is very intelligent. He would have certainly studied this aspect. He realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. In any competition it is good to praise others," he added.
That is why Pawar may have praised the RSS, Fadnavis said.
Speaking at an interaction with senior editor Vivek Ghalsasi at Late Vilasji Fadnis Jivhala programme here, Fadnavis also said he had asked for organisational work when Eknath Shinde was made chief minister in June 2022, but senior leaders asked him to join the government.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him not to behave like an extra-constitutional authority in the government.
He said the decision to become deputy chief minister on the command of the party leadership earned him a lot of praise from the cadre.
After the massive mandate the ruling alliance received in the 2024 assembly polls, Fadnavis said people and party workers would not have been happy if the CM was not from the BJP.
Shinde himself agreed within minutes that the CM must be from the BJP, which itself got 132 seats and was close to a majority of its own in the 288-member assembly, he added.
On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting him during the winter sessions of the legislature in Nagpur, Fadnavis said he had announced he would not indulge in politics of revenge after becoming CM and all leaders responded positively to it.
On chances of the NCP (SP) and NCP coming closer or reuniting, Fadnavis said, "If you see the developments that took place from 2019 to 2024, I realised never say never and anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to some other party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. In politics anything can happen though I am not saying this should happen."
He praised BJP leader Arun Gujarati from whom he learnt patience, which he claimed was an important quality in politics along with the ability to take criticism.
In a lighter vein, he said, "I only get angry when I am hungry. If you see me angry then give me something to eat and my anger will go away."