Sonia and Singh display their ploughs at the rally. Picture by Ramakant Kushwaha

New Delhi, March 9: Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh today showcased the Rs 60,000-crore loan waiver for farmers as the Congress weighed the pros and cons of plunging into elections before the perceived “rural euphoria” peters out.

Ploughs on shoulder and sickles in hand, the two leaders posed for the crowd at a “thanksgiving and felicitation” rally on the Ram Leela grounds.

Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda “gifted” the Congress chief and the Prime Minister the farm implements — the two most potent symbols of rural India.

Sonia was effusive in her praise of the farmers, saying they are “our annadata (food-provider)”.

“If they are unhappy, agriculture will come to a standstill and the country will stagnate. It is our duty to repay the debts they have accumulated,” she said.

“Under Manmohan Singh’s leadership, we took a historic step (the waiver) which will transform the lives of four crore farmers. The small and marginal farmers will not only get relief from debts but their self-confidence will also grow many times.”

Taking the cue from the Prime Minister’s speech in Parliament last week, Sonia slammed the BJP and the NDA, saying their government had never offered farmers the kind of packages and funds the UPA regime was giving them.

“In spite of that (the sops), people in the Opposition allege we are insensitive to them (farmers). This is a case of the thief blaming the cop. If farmers are unhappy, there is only one reason — the NDA’s policies,” she said.

The slogans left little doubt that farmers would dominate the poll theme. One read: “Lush green fields, a smile on the farmer’s face, with her (Sonia’s) grace and that of God.”

Another said: “Tears wiped, debts waived, such is Soniaji’s justice.”

Congress leaders in states bordering Delhi were asked to rustle up big numbers for the rally a week ago. Party units in Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh vied with each other to send supporters. But finally, it was Congress-ruled Haryana that sent the largest contingent.

The numbers from that state were higher than those from Delhi, where too the party is in power. Not surprisingly, the person cheered the most after Sonia was Hooda, with other speakers being barely acknowledged.

Singh termed the loan waiver his farz (duty) and decried those who said the sops were a “burden”.

“When things are bad, we waive debts of industrialists. So why should we think twice about bailing out small farmers?”

Sonia blasted the BJP for its “duplicity” on terrorism and, without naming him, criticised Raj Thackeray’s politics. “Every part of India belongs to every citizen. They have equal rights wherever they choose to live.”