The Opposition Congress and NCP on Thursday turned up heat on State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, as their legislators staged a protest in front of the SBI headquarters at Nariman Point in south Mumbai and leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil threatened to bring in a breach of privilege motion against her in the lower House over her statement opposing the farm loan waiver, if she did not tender apology for her remarks forthwith.
Taking strong exception SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya's statement that farm loan waivers could reduce credit discipline of banks, leaders of Congress and NCP and their legislators walked from Vidhan Bhavan to the SBI headquarters after the Maharashtra legislature was adjourned for the day, and staged a protest against her statement.
The protest was led by Vikhe Patil of the Congress and leader of the Opposition in the State legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya had said: "We feel that in case of a (farm) loan waiver there is always a fall in credit discipline because the people who get the waiver have expectations of future waivers as well. As such, future loans given will often remain unpaid...Today, the loans will come back as the government will pay for it. But when we disburse loans again, the farmers will wait for the next election expecting another waiver".
Her statement came in the backdrop of clamour of farm loan waiver being witnessed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and a few other states in the country.
Talking to media persons after the protest, Vikhe-Patil charged that through her statement, Bhattacharya had not only "insulted" the farmers, but had also breached the privileges of elected houses across the country. "If she does not tender apology forthwith, we will be force to bring a breach of privilege motion against her in the Maharashtra Assembly," he said.
Condemning Bhattacharya's statement, Vikhe-Patil said: "She is not policy maker either at the state or the central level. The decision to waive farm loans is taken by law makers and not by her. What Bhattacharya has done is to commit a breach the privileges of the members in the legislatures and Parliament. She is just a public servant. She should remain so. She should not don the role of the caretaker of farmers in the country".
Hitting out at the SBI chairperson for her statement at this juncture, Vikhe-Patil said: "If Bhattacharya was so concerned about the farm loan waiver, she should have expressed her views when Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised during the UP Assembly poll campaign that if it was elected to power, the BJP would government waive farm loans in that state.
Why should she make a statement at this juncture when there is clamour for farm loan waiver in MaharashtraIJ If she is serious about her views, she should take up the issue with the Prime Minister and convey her views personally."