Raj BJP takes out massive protest against Cong 'for failing to keep farm loan waiver promise'

Jaipur: Hundreds of BJP office bearers and workers courted arrest on Friday during a statewide agitation against the ruling Congress "for not keeping its farm loan waiver promise".

In Jaipur, nearly 10,000 BJP workers took out a rally from the state BJP headquarters to Civil Lines Crossing in the city, led by state party president Madan Lal Saini and MP Ramcharan Bohra. Former state ministers Arun Chaturvedi, Kali Charan Saraf and sitting MLAs Ramlal Sharma and Ashok Lahoti also participated in the agitation.

Police said, "The protesters shouted slogans against the government, tried to cross barricades laid by the force and courted arrest. They were released later."

BJP spokesperson Vimal Katiyar claimed that around 1 lakh BJP members, including 10,000 leaders, office bearers and workers in the state capital, were arrested in Rajasthan, protesting against the government for not fulfilling its promise of farm loan waiver.

However, DGP (law and order) Mohan Lal Lather said around 1,500 people in Jaipur and 300 people in Ajmer courted arrested.

He said no untoward incident was reported during the protests.

After forming the government in the state, the Congress had announced loan waiver of upto Rs 2 lakh for farmers. Later, the government had constituted a committee to frame guidelines and eligibility criteria, and said camps would be held from February 7 to distribute the farm loan waiver certificates.

Katiyar claimed Congress president Rahul Gandhi had promised complete farm loan waiver for all farmers in the state within 10 days of forming the government, but the Congress has failed to do so.

He said the Congress government has started holding camps from February 7 under pressure from the BJP and that the government was trying to deceive farmers through its half-hearted attempts.