Gadkari slams Govt on weavers' issue

Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari on Friday alleged that both the Centre and State Government have failed to provide assistance to handloom weavers.

Addressing the gathering at the conclusion of three-day fast organised by the Bjp at Indira Park, Nitin Gadkari said that the government did not react even several weavers committing suicide due to their mounting debts. Slamming the government for not extending financial assistance to the distressed weavers, he alleged that the government did not provide proper marketing facilities to promote their products. He announced that the Bjp would waive off loans if the party comes to power in the next general elections.

Gadkari demanded that the government fix remunerative price for the weavers' products and help them financially by providing loans. He said that the Bjp would take a delegation of MPs to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the weavers' issue.

The Bjp president demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his alleged involvement in the 2G Spectrum scam. He questioned the silence of Congress party on the allegations of corruption or favouritism against Chidambaram and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. He claimed that Bjp has become a role model for the Congress by removing Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in Karnarataka, when he indicted by Lokayukta.

Bjp state president G Kishan Reddy demanded that the state government release a white paper on budget allocations for the welfare of weavers’ community. He accused Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy of not ignoring the problems of weavers despite submission of several memoranda.

Bjp national secretary P Muralidhar Rao, who observed fast for the last three days, called upon the people to purchase dress material from handloom weavers and encourage their products.