Congress betrayed Karnataka's farmers, says Amit Shah

BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday accused Congress President Rahul Gandhi of betraying Karnataka's farmers. "Gandhi promised to waive loans of all farmers across Karnataka. But his coalition government waived only Rs 1,000 crore out of Rs 41,000 crore promised by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy months ago," said Shah at a party meeting in the state's northern region, 400 km from Bengaluru.

"The BJP is progressing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government announced Rs 6,000 per annum in the interim Union Budget for fiscal 2019-20 to farmers having 5 acres of land across the country," he said in his address to the members of the Shakti Kendra Pramukh Samavesh. He also dared Gandhi to name the leader of 'mahaghatbadhan' (the opposition grand alliance).

Noting Kumaraswamy had said he became Chief Minister due to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and not because of the people, Shah also mocked him for saying recently that he was working like a clerk owing to the Congress. Shah is on a two-day visit to the state for pre-poll campaign ahead of the general elections.