New CM Kamal Nath waives off farmers' loans in MP
What's the story
Two hours after he was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Kamal Nath, in his first move as CM, waived off loans of farmers in the state. Notably, the Congress, in the run-up to the polls, had promised to waive off farmer loans in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, if elected to power. Here's more.
Twitter Post
RaGa: Farm loan waivers for Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh on the cards
CM, Madhya Pradesh, waives farm loans.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 17, 2018
1 done.
2 to go.
Promises
The promises Congress had made to farmers in MP
In its election manifesto for Madhya Pradesh, the Congress had promised to waive farm loans of up to Rs. 2 lakh. It had further promised a social security pension for farmers, a rebate in the registration fee for land documents, a financial help of Rs. 51,000 for the marriage of daughters of small cultivators.
Controversy
Meanwhile, controversy rages over Nath's role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots
Nath's decision comes on the backdrop of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots verdict by the Delhi HC. In the verdict, the HC sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment. Kumar had been accused of leading a mob that killed five Sikhs. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed Nath's appointment as CM, saying that he too was seen as an accused by the Sikh community.