Thu Feb 06 16:19:13 UTC 2025: **Tamil Nadu BJP Demands Farm Loan Waiver, DMK Counters with Rebuttal**
CHENNAI, February 6, 2025 – The BJP’s Tamil Nadu president, K. Annamalai, has called on the state government to establish a committee to address the waiver of farm loans for small and marginal farmers. Annamalai accused the ruling DMK party of breaking its 2021 election promise to waive such loans, citing the outstanding loan amount of ₹19,008 crore as of March 31, 2024, as evidence. He further criticized the DMK’s handling of various issues including unemployment, law and order, and rising crime rates.
However, senior DMK Minister K.R. Periakaruppan swiftly refuted Annamalai’s claims, asserting that the DMK government had indeed waived farm and jewel loans as promised in its manifesto. Periakaruppan stated that the necessary funds had been released and countered that the DMK government had extended farm loans totaling ₹61,007 crore to over 79.18 lakh farmers. He accused Annamalai of spreading misinformation and displaying a lack of understanding of the situation. The minister also defended the government’s response to natural disasters, highlighting the distribution of relief hampers.
First Piper 