Vikhe Patil draws criticism over comment on loan waiver; Bawankule steps in to defend him

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil drew flak after one of his statements suggested that the “practice” of farmers taking loans and later seeking waivers had been going on for years.

“Form a cooperative, take a loan, get it waived… (become debt-ridden again and) keep demanding waivers. This has been the practice for many years,” Vikhe Patil said on Friday, while talking about the issue of agricultural indebtedness.

His comment received a backlash on social media and from farmer groups and the Opposition.

Farmer leader Ajit Navale of the All India Kisan Sabha hit out at Vikhe Patil, saying the minister had unfairly blamed cultivators instead of addressing the policies that had pushed them into financial distress. “The farmers’ indebtedness is a result of faulty government policies -- exploitative procurement systems, import-export decisions, and inflation-driven price suppression. Instead of helping farmers, the government has been inflating the profits of crop insurance companies,” Navale said.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar slammed Vikhe Patil over his statement and sought to know whether the BJP government considers farmers as enemies.

In a post on X, he said, “The Mahayuti government does not help farmers but keeps working as if it is their enemy.” In his bid to contain the controversy, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that Vikhe Patil’s comment was being misinterpreted. “His intention was different. The Mahayuti government will ensure a 100 per cent loan waiver for farmers. Our government is committed to preventing further indebtedness of cultivators,” Bawankule said.