Modi attacks Congress over farm loan waiver in Karnataka, says it betrayed farmers

Lucknow, Dec 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued Saturday with his attack on the Congress over its "unfulfilled" loan waiver promises.

Addressing a public meeting here, Modi said only a small number of loans were waived in Karnataka after the recent assembly elections in the state, where a JD(S)-Congress government is now in power. He laid the foundation stone of a medical college here and released a commemorative postal stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. "Several important steps have being taken to transform Purvanchal into a big medical hub and to strengthen the small industries of UP," he said.

Later in the day, Modi will dedicate to the nation the 6th International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre campus in Varanasi. It will serve as a hub for rice research and training in South Asia and SAARC region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Ghazipur holds significance as among other things he is also likely to release a commemorative postal stamp on the Rajbhar community icon Raja Suheldev.

The PM is also slated to visit the places where the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas would be held from January 21, to review the arrangements.

The PM would be visiting Ghazipur after a gap of two years. He last went there on November 14, 2016, when he announced several projects, most of them of Railways. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha also represents Ghazipur in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, state Cabinet minister and the SBSP president OP Rajbhar has announced that he wouldn't be attending PM's rally in Ghazipur. Rajbhar, who represents the Zahoorabad assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, is the Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment minister in the state government. His SBSP is an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Minister was upset over not getting the invitation on time so he chose to boycott the PM's rally though BJP leaders were reportedly trying to pacify him.