PM has money for loan defaulters, not for farmers: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday hit out at the centre citing an RTI reply from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which stated that the government has waived Rs 68,607 crore of the top 50 bank loan defaulters, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya.

"The man who ran away from India after a fraud was welcomed by Modi at PM's residence, calling him Mehul Bhai. Not only did Modi's 'Mehul Bhai' escape, he also got his bank loans from public money written off!

"This, under the same Modi govt which says that it has no money for the poor and the vulnerable who have lost their livelihoods in the sudden lockdown. Or doesn't have money to give free food from grains, rotting in FCI godowns. But there's always money for humaare Mehul Bhai!," Yechury said in a tweet.

He also said the priorities of this government are "statues, Trump tamasha, write-offs of frauds of cronies, personal PR campaigns and latest fad of a new residence for PM in a new Central Vista".

"How come Modi has money to waste on all this but not for farmers, workers, the poor and the vulnerable?," Yechury asked.Taking a dig at the violence by a mob of migrants in Surat in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, Yechury asked why he didnt talk of the 'Guajarat model' any more.

"Achhe Din Modi & Shah's state facing a severe health crisis. BJP rule since 1995 destroyed public health. There's a complete breakdown of governance & humanitarian concerns. It's distressing to see these visuals from Gujarat.

"Should there be missing posters for union ministers such as health minister who hasn't been seen facing the press, answering questions about the grave situation in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh or UP If Agra was a ?model', why hasn't minister answered what became of that model now?," he asked.