CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has slammed the TVK government over its farm loan waiver announcement, calling the scheme a 'scientific fraud'.
In a statement, Palaniswami accused the ruling party of trying to distract the public from worsening law and order issues, while engaging in political horse-trading instead of focusing on governance.
He highlighted that the previous AIADMK government led by him had waived crop loans worth Rs 12,110 crore obtained by farmers from cooperative banks in 2021, benefiting nearly 16.43 lakh farmers. He described that move as a genuine measure rooted in an understanding of farmers' hardships.
In contrast, Palaniswami alleged that the current government has failed to deliver on its election promise. He noted that the ruling party had pledged in its manifesto to fully waive crop loans taken by farmers owning less than five acres of land through cooperative banks. Instead of using land ownership as the eligibility criterion, the government has now based the waiver on the loan amount — a move he called a deception.
Pointing to the disparity in scale, Palaniswami said the AIADMK had waived Rs 12,110 crore in 2021, while the present government has announced a waiver of only Rs 2,044 crore in 2026.
"As a farmer who has personally tilled the land, I can say that no government which deceives farmers has survived in history, " he said. Stressing that farmers are equal to God as they provide food to society, he urged the government not to betray the farming community.