Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar has accused Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of making "anti-national" statements "supporting" China on the border fracas, thereby "insulting and demoralising" the Indian Army soldiers, who are putting their lives at stake under extreme climatic conditions.
The Telangana CM, addressing a press conference on Sunday, had charged that India was losing its land at Arunachal Pradesh borders to China every day. The Centre had lost its face at the international level because it had bungled in dealing with Chinese aggression on the borders, he had alleged.
"Mr. Rao should be within his limits, resign forthwith and apologise for making such statements and also to TS people for uttering lies and falsehoods on Centre on the issue of paddy procurement, farm laws and taxes on fuel," State BJP president said at a press conference on Monday.
Flanked by fellow MP D. Arvind and other leaders, the BJP president demanded that the Chief Minister clarify whether it was the Centre or the State which has been procuring paddy in the last seven years. This was in response to the CM's tirade against the Centre on Sunday's press meet.
"Mr. Rao claimed the Centre had no role in paddy procurement and TS had spent Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. Did he not announce that every single grain will be purchased by his government? Therefore, we need clarification on this aspect," he said.
Mr. Sanjay Kumar claimed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had communicated to TS about its willingness to purchase paddy till January 2022 on August 31 itself. "Centre purchases raw rice even from Punjab giving the assured minimum support price. This boiled rice issue is a big scam of the TRS Government in cahoots with a few rice millers for recycling ration rice," he charged.
The BJP had doubts about the extent of paddy cultivation and called for a drone or helicopter survey to ascertain facts. "Mr. Rao is known for shifting stance and confusing farmers on raising fine rice varieties, maize, cotton, chillies and so on," he claimed.
Centre's proposed farm laws have no mention of removing procurement centres and agriculture market committees, as was claimed by Mr. Rao, the BJP leader said. "What is he going to protest in Delhi when the Supreme Court has stayed the farm laws? He threatened to do the same few months ago but returned empty handed," he ridiculed.
The TS Government had raised VAT by 4% for petrol and 5% diesel in 2015, so it has to reduce like 22 other states and cannot lie about not increasing the tax, the BJP MP claimed. "Centre gets ₹27 and gives ₹12 to TS whereas the latter gets ₹28 from VAT, why cannot Mr. Rao reduce the same? Why did he not support the inclusion of fuel prices in GST?" asked Mr. Sanjay Kumar.
The BJP leader charged the TS CM of "mortgaging" the interests of TS by keeping "silent" on projects across rivers Krishna and Godavari in Andhra Pradesh; dragging the issue of withdrawing pending case in Apex Court preventing the formation of a tribunal and accepting 299 TMC when the rightful share was 570 TMC.
Having ushered in the abusive language template against the Opposition leaders, Mr. Rao cannot complain now. "We did not flinch when Naxalites threatened us, we are not going to be cowed down by the CM's threats to behead us. We will definitely take action against him at the right time. Were Lalu Prasad, P. Chidambaram and [Om Prakash] Chauthala spared," Mr. Sanjay Kumar added.
