Punjab Congress president Amarinder today "reassured" farmers that their loans would be taken care of if his party comes to power in the state even as he promised "protection of the interests of the arhtiyas (commission agents)".
He said farmers would be covered under the party's farm debt waiver scheme, which forms party of Congress's Kisan Yatra in the state.
"Rest assured that you would not have to worry about any of your loans," he told farmers.
Amarinder said modalities to resolve the issue of loans taken from arhtiyas would also be worked out "in such a manner that neither the farmers nor the arhtiyas would have to suffer the debt burden".
"With Rs 35,000 crore of the total rural indebtedness in the state contributed by farm debts, this is an issue of serious concern not only for the state but also the Central government," he said and urged the Modi government to "waive off farm debts across the country in line with the waiver done for industries".
Referring to farm debt waiver campaign in Punjab, Amarinder claimed it had evoked "a huge response" from farmers.
He said the 'Congress Manifesto Committee' is in the process of taking suggestions from arhtiyas regarding their problems and "possible steps would be taken to address their grievances while resolving the farm debt issue".
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Amarinder also challenged Kejriwal to an electoral fight in the upcoming assembly elections.
During the press conference, former Akali minister Ranjit Singh Balian and his family members, as well as number of AAP workers joined the Congress.
Tickets would be given to outsiders in constituencies where the Congress did not have strong candidates, Amarinder said. He also alleged that posters being put up against former Akali leader Inderbir Singh Bolaria and others in Delhi were the act of detractors.
He made it clear that there had been no discussion with him on the possibility of making Sidhu the deputy chief minister if the Congress comes to power in the state.
On AAP's Bhagwant Mann's claim to the chief ministerial post, Amarinder wished him luck, saying if that happened the state would be reduced to having a comedian's government.
