In Mandasur, Rahul Gandhi had promised to waive off farmer loans within ten days. Making light of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's speech at a farmers' rally in Mandsaur, the BJP said it was "scripted", like the one delivered by a character in the hit Bollywood film "3 Idiots".While Mr Gandhi promised immediate farm loan waiver if voted to power in Madhya Pradesh, BJP maintained that the government was working on a permanent solution to farmers' woes. "Rahul Gandhi's speech was dramatic, scripted and immature. There were no facts and data. He talked about setting up food processing units in the district. Only a week ago Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister had talked about food processing. It seems the writer of Rahul's speech has taken a cue from that," said state Minister of State for Cooperatives Vishwas Sarang at a press conference in Bhopal. "His speech was like that from Bollywood film, "3 Idiots", where a character delivers a speech written by others," the BJP leader said.He was apparently referring to a scene in the film where `Chatur Ramalingam', played by Omi Vaidya, unwittingly delivers a hilarious speech written as a prank.Asked about the Congress chief's promise of loan waiver, Mr Sarang said, "There is no such demand from farmers. We are heading for a permanent solution, and aiming to double farmers' income.The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had questioned the loan waiver granted by the UPA government in 2008 and had termed it a "show piece" for elections, he said.The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh is providing loans to farmers at zero per cent rate, the minister said, adding "This is not a loan but a financial assistance. "Asked about the loan waiver granted by BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere, Mr Sarang said the previous government in UP had ignored farmers, so it was needed, but that the situation in Madhya Pradesh was different. "The Madhya Pradesh government has been working constantly for the welfare of farmers," he said.To Mr Gandhi's statement that he wanted to see mobile phones with Made in Mandsaur' tag instead of 'Made in China' in the next four years, Mr Sarang said the Congress chief should also state why indigenous mobile phone manufacturing could not happen in Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier in the day, Mr Gandhi at a rally in Mandsaur said that if the Congress comes to power in MP, farmers will get loan waiver within ten days.He also promised action against those responsible for the death of six farmers in police firing last year.<doc-sep>​​ NEW DELHI: Union minister Arun Jaitley today countered Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the NDA government by questioning the knowledge possessed by the latter. "How much does he know? When will he know? Listening to his speech delivered in Madhya Pradesh today reaffirms my curiosity about the answer," the Union minister wrote on his Facebook blog.The blog was written shortly after the Congress chief's rally at Pipliya Mandi in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh where five farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on this day last year.The minister proceeded with a point-by-point rebuttal of Congress chief's allegations on issues of farmers' loans, loans given to industrialists, unemployment and connectivity between the cities and the villages.On the accusation that Prime Minister has waived off the loans of Rs 2.5 lakh crores of the 15 top industrialists, the minister wrote -"The Government has not waived off a single rupee due from any industrialist. The facts are to the contrary. Those who owed money to the banks and other creditors have been declared insolvent and removed from their companies by IBC enacted by Prime Minister Modi’s Government. These loans were given largely during the UPA Government. "On the question of Non-Performing Assets (NPA), Jaitley countered that a major portion of the amount constituting NPA was part of the UPA II government and his government, contrary to Rahul's allegation, has been steadily in the process of recovering these loans.He also disputed Rahul's claim on the lack of mobile manufacturing units in the country. "In the year 2014 when UPA went out of power, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing units in India. In 2018, with the result of our electronics policy and the incentives in a four year period, this has increased to 120 units with an investment of Rs.1,32,000 crores," Jaitley responded.Jaitley presented the GDP and growth registered in various sectors to prove that the Congress chief's claim of rising unemployment is not true.The Union minister cited his government's Gram Sadak Yojna and applauded the work of CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan and PM Modi leading to a tripling of investment in rural roads. The minister was responding to Rahul allegation on lack of infrastructure development in the state.<doc-sep>Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, on the first death anniversary of the five farmers who were killed in agrarian protests here has created a “war of facts” between BJP leader Arun Jaitley and the Congress’s communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala. Up in arms? Rahul Gandhi was in Madhya Pradesh on the first death anniversary of the five farmers who were killed in agrarian protests in Mandsaur. Photo: Twitter/Rahul Gandhi Attacking Gandhi for his speech, Jaitley wondered on Facebook “How much does he know?” Within hours of his blog, however, Congress chief spokesperson countered him point by point. Rahul’s charge: Modi waived loans of Rs2.5 lakh crore of the 15 top industrialists in the country. Jaitley: Those who owed money to the banks and other creditors have been declared insolvent and removed from their companies by IBC enacted by Prime Minister Modi’s Government. These loans were given largely during the UPA Government. Surjewala: Modi government wrote off loans of a handful of crony friends worth Rs 2.41 lakh crore as per reply given to Parliament by Finance Ministry as recently as on April 3, 2018. Rahul’s Charge Loans are not available to the kisans but only to the industrialists. Jaitley: This was during the UPA government, particularly UPA II, when the bulk of amount constituting the NPAs today were given by the banking system during the period 2008-14. From 2014, we have been systematically taking one step after the other to recover this money back. Surjewala “Modi Sarkar is actually the “NPA Sarkar””. Gross NPAs have gone up from Rs 2,51,054 crore in March 2014 to Rs 8,31,141 crore in December 2017 (an increase of a whopping 230 per cent during Modi government) as per the reply given to Parliament by Finance Ministry, as recently as on April 6, 2018. Rahul’s charge Prime Minister has given Rs 35,000 crore each to two diamond jewellers who have now escaped out of the country. Jaitley: This banking fraud started in the year 2011, when the UPA II was in power. It was only detected during the NDA period. Surjewala: “Fleece the Banks and Fly Away to Foreign Lands” is the “Facility for Fraudsters” under the Modi government’s watch. Perhaps, Shri Arun Jaitley forgets the recent “Bank Loot Scams” worth over Rs 61,036 crore. Let us remind the BJP. Rahul’s Charge If the Congress comes to power, mobile phones, which are now made in China, will be manufactured in India. Jaitley: In the year 2014, when UPA went out of power, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing units in India. In 2018, with the result of our electronics policy and the incentives in a four-year period, this has increased to 120 units with an investment of Rs.1,32,000 crore. Surjewala: “Make in India” has become an empty slogan under Modi government. BJP and its minister without portfolio forget that:- Industrial growth has declined from 7.4 per cent in 2016 to 4.45 per cent in 2018. GFCF, i.e, an indicator of investment, has fallen from 31.34 per cent to 28.49 per cent. India’s exports have fallen from Rs 19.05 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 10.73 lakh crore (2017-18) Between 2014 and 2018, India’s revenue from export is zero. Rahul’s Charge Jobs not being created in India. Jaitley: The latest GDP date has re-emphasised India as the fastest growing economy in the world. There is a double digit growth in construction, expansion in manufacturing, an increased capital formation that indicates investment increase, large investment in physical infrastructure and increased investment in rural India. All these are job creating sectors. Surjewala: BJP promised 2 crore jobs per year, but the stark reality is that it has only betrayed our youth. Modi government created only 4.16 lakh jobs in 2016-17 77 per cent of Indian workers will have vulnerable employment by 2019 ( ILO Demonetisation led to loss of 15 Lakh jobs ( CMIE Also read: Numbers don't lie. Congress government did better than Modi sarkar on GDP<doc-sep>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched his party’s campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh by promising to waive farm loans in ten days if the party is voted to power. He also said that if the Congress forms the government, it would act against those responsible for the death of six people in Mandsaur in police firing during last year’s farmers’ agitation. These have been the two main demands of the farmers who are on a 10-day statewide strike. At a farmer’s rally at Pipliyamandi near Mandsaur to mark the first anniversary of the police firing, Gandhi said farm loan waiver worth Rs 70,000 crore was given by the UPA government and lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring farmers. “Modi will only waive loans of rich industrialists and refused to waive farmers’ loans when I requested him. But the Congress governments in Karnataka and Punjab, which has Congress governments, have waived farm loans, showing that the party is with the farmers,” he said. For the first time, Gandhi also laid out his party’s vision for providing employment to farmers and youth of the country. “We will set up food processing units near farms where the farmers will sell their goods directly and their children will get employment in these factories,” he said. While some BJP ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have announced farm loan waivers to a certain limit, the Madhya Pradesh government did not make any such announcement. Instead, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a new incentive scheme in which a farmer gets 10% subsidy on the principal amount while repaying the loan. Defending the state government’s decision, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said because of pro-farmer policies, farmers in Madhya Pradesh were not in debt, and hence there is no need for a loan waiver. “We have spent Rs 20,000 crore on providing financial aid to farmers in one year, and we give loans at minus 10%. Only 24% farmers have defaulted on loans, and for them too, we have given interest waiver, and have come out with one-time settlement policy,” Agrawal said. Rising unemployment among the youth is being seen as a failure of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre after the BJP promised to create two crore jobs a year. The Centre has, however, claimed that there is no robust methodology to evaluate the jobs being created. At his Pipliyamandi rally, the Congress president also accused Modi of selling out to China. “Our Indian shops are full of Chinese goods, he (Modi) wears a Chinese watch, he sits in the swing with the Chinese president in Gujarat and then China attacks India at Doklam and Modi says nothing.” Gandhi said it is his dream that the next time he comes to Mandsaur, “I should be able to carry a phone marked ‘Made in Mandsaur’, and people in China should be consuming garlic produced in Mandsaur.” Gandhi also met families of farmers who were killed in police firing last year. Madhya Pradesh Congress unit president Kamal Nath and campaign committee chairman Jyotiradiya Scindia who also spoke on the occasion tore into the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government highlighting its ‘failure’ to tackle the farm distress that has hit the state. Scindia alleged that the Bhavantar scheme, hailed as panacea for all problems of farmers in the state, has failed and farmers were getting lower price for their produce when compared to when Congress was in power. He accused the Chouhan government of having farmers’ blood on its hands and promised that the Congress would give justice to the farmers. Kamal Nath attacked the government for its lack of progress in developing the state. “The youth want work, but this government has failed to bring industries, rather they are closing down,” he said.<doc-sep>
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley led the counter-attack against Rahul Gandhi. (File) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley led the counter-attack against Rahul Gandhi. (File) Even as Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday left no stone unturned in attacking the BJP-led government over a host of issues- ranging from Nirav Modi to agrarian distress – at his rally in Mandsaur, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley led the counter-attack. Posting a point-by-point rebuttal of Gandhi’s allegations in a blog on his Facebook page, Jaitley questioned Gandhi’s knowledge of things that he talked about during the Mandsaur rally. “How much does he know? when will he know?,” wondered Jaitley. Addressing the ‘Kisan Samriddhi Sankalp’ rally, that coincided with the first anniversary of police firing on farmers in the district last year, Gandhi said if Congress was voted to power in Madhya Pradesh, it would waive farmers’ loans within 10 days Here is how Arun Jaitley countered Rahul Gandhi’s allegations: 1) On favouring industrialists Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of waiving loans of Rs.2.5 lakh crores of the 15 top industrialists in the country but not even one rupee had been waived for the farmers. “The governments in Punjab and Karnataka, where the Congress is in power, have already waived the farmers’ loan,” the Congress chief said. Countering his claims, Jaitley wrote the government had not waived a single rupee due from any industrialist but had enacted the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to deter defaulters and creditors. “Those who owed money to the banks and other creditors have been declared insolvent and removed from their companies by IBC. These loans were given largely during the UPA Government,” Jaitley wrote. 2) On farm loan waivers and NPAs During the rally, Gandhi recalled that the previous UPA government had waived farmers’ loan to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore. He said he had met Modi in his office “only once” when he led a farmers’ delegation to seek help for the community but there was no assurance. Arun Jaitley argued that Gandhi’s assertion that the BJP government was giving loans only to industrialists was factually false and such favours were carried out during the UPA II regime. He said the bulk of present non-performing assets (NPAs) accumulated during 2008-14. “From 2014 we have been systematically taking one step after the other to recover these monies back,” Jaitley said in the FB post. 3) On Nirav Modi and Punjab National Bank fraud Rahul Gandhi, who virtually launched the election campaign for Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, alleged that Prime Minister Modi had given Rs. 35,000 crore each to two diamond jewellers (Nirav Modi and Jatin Mehta of Winsome Diamonds), who have now escaped out of the country. The Finance Minister rebutted the remarks, saying the banking fraud started in the year 2011 when the UPA II was in power and was detected by the present NDA government. Rahul Gandhi also castigated the state and Central governments for ignoring the farm distress across the country. (Source/Twitter) Rahul Gandhi also castigated the state and Central governments for ignoring the farm distress across the country. (Source/Twitter) 4) On mobile phone manufacturing units Criticising the government’s flagship “Make in India” scheme, Gandhi accused PM Modi of allowing Chinese products to flood markets. He also expressed hope that in five years he wished to see a mobile phone with “Made in Mandsaur” tag. Dishing out statistics, Jaitley said when UPA lost the 2014 elections, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing units in India. “In 2018, with the result of our electronics policy and the incentives in a four year period, this has increased to 120 units with an investment of Rs.1,32,000 crores,” the finance minister said. 5) On jobs and rise in unemployment Taking a jibe at Modi’s famous Rs 15 lakh promise, Rahul Gandhi asked the people whether they had got a single penny in their account. He also questioned PM Modi on his pre-poll promise of offering two crore jobs every year. Pointing to the latest GDP rate, which shows India as the fastest growing economy in the world, Jaitley said there was a double-digit growth in construction, expansion in manufacturing and an increased capital formation. “This indicates investment increase, large investment in physical infrastructure and increased investment in rural India. All these are job-creating sectors,” he said.