Congress slams Narendra Modi for accusing Karnataka govt of arresting farmers in debt, says he has 'bad habit' of lying

Bhopal: The Congress on Friday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not able to get rid of his "childhood habit" of telling lies after he claimed that the Karnataka government was arresting indebted farmers.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference in Bhopal that it hurts when a person holding the prime minister's post lies.

"Modi has a bad habit of speaking lies. It seems he is not able to get rid of his childhood habit," he said, when asked about Modi's allegation.

The prime minister, addressing campaign rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, had pooh-poohed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's promise of farm loan waiver in the two states. He claimed the party had made the same promise during the Karnataka polls but did not fulfil it.

File image of Congress leader Randeep Surjewala. PTI

The coalition government consisting of Congress in Karnataka was, instead, issuing warrants and arresting farmers for defaulting on loan repayments, the prime minister alleged.

Surjewala asked about the loan waiver that was announced by the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

"About 50,000 farmers marched to Mumbai asking the Devendra Fadnavis government what happened to loan waiver promise. The implementation of loan waiver in Punjab and Karnataka (where the Congress is in power) has set an example. The prime minister should visit these areas," Surjewala said.

He alleged the Modi-led government had written off loans worth Rs 2.63 lakh crore of industrialists but had refused relief to indebted farmers.

The Congress spokesperson also accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of misleading people on the investment attracted by the state from 2007 to 2016.

"The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government held 12 investor meets during this period and declared that investment of Rs 17.49 lakh crore has been made. But according to experts, proposals of only Rs 50,000 crore materialised," he alleged.

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