CHENNAI: BJP's Tamil Nadu unit today said it was the responsibility of the state government to waive the crop loans given to farmers, a demand being made by a group of ryots on a protest in New Delhi for the past one month.
Citing the decision of BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to waive farmers loans worth over Rs. 36,000 crore, state party President Tamilisai Sounderrajan said it was the responsibility of the AIADMK government in the state to do so.
Her comments come in the backdrop of the protest by farmers from Tamil Nadu in New Delhi seeking the Prime Minister's intervention to waive off the loans in view of the drought.
Last week, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh decided to waive farm loans totalling Rs 36,359 crore benefitting small and marginal farmers in that state.
"The loans would have been given by many banks to farmers. But, if it wants to, the State government can waive the loans. It is wrong on the Tamil Nadu government's part to not pay attention to the farmers' demand," she alleged.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien had yesterday asked the government to talk to drought-hit farmers of Tamil Nadu to end their agitation seeking crop loan waiver.