New Delhi, July 28 The Congress party has maintained that the farm loan waiver scheme had received support from diverse quarters.

Commenting on a remark by Secretary to the President of India, Christy Fernandes, that Pratibha Devi Singh Patil was instrumental in the implementation of the loan waiver scheme, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the scheme was party's brainchild.

"The comments are being misinterpreted. Broad issues of public interest like farm loan waiver have inputs from diverse quarters. All inputs together form the final policy," Singhvi said.

Fernandes, who had made the observation in the presence of Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, had said not many people know that it was the President who spearheaded and gave advice to the government that it must have appropriate mechanism by which the plight of the farmers could be addressed and that resulted in the massive loan waiver programme of the previous government.

Meanwhile, crediting the scheme to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Secretary, AICC Media Department, Tom Vadakkan said: "It is Mrs Gandhi and Mrs Gandhi herself behind the whole farmers' strengthening process that has been launched by the Congress." (ANI)