Telangana Congress has accused the Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forming what it termed a ‘Joint Acting Committee’ (JAC) and enacting a drama to escape from procuring the paddy cultivated in Telangana.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy alleged that CM was indulging in a drama trying to divert the attention from the real issue of farmers. “While the farmers are demanding the government to procure paddy of this season, CM is creating a fake fight with the Centre for the next Yasangi season,” he said.
Mr. Reddy was speaking after leading a protest of the Telangana Congress at the Agriculture Commissioner’s office demanding the government to procure paddy as announced earlier.
He said it was the CM who repeatedly announced that the government would procure every grain and he is simply absolving himself of the responsibility leaving the farmers in lurch.
He said if the CM was sincere, he should go to the agriculture fields and procurement centres while the BJP leaders should go to New Delhi to pressurise the Central government.
The Congress chief asked the Chief Minister to sit on the dharna at Jantar Mantar when Parliament session begins on November 29.
“Protest inside Parliament if you are sincere and also pass a resolution in the Assembly. But CM is more worried about enquiry into his role in the Sahara scam,” he claimed. He reminded that it was the Congress government that set up Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns and never let down the farmers on procurement or support price.
Mr. Revanth Reddy said the Congress will reach out to the farmers going to the threshing floors in the agriculture fields where the harvested paddy is waiting to be procured. All the leaders will go to the threshing floors from Friday and it will continue till November 23.
He will be present in Kamareddy with the farmers on Friday. He also gave the government time till November 23 to procure paddy or else the party will lay siege to Pragati Bhavan.
CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka asked if it was not the duty of the State government to procure if the Centre was not willing to do so.
He said it was strange for the government to sit on a dharna forgetting its duty of procurement. “I have not seen such governments earlier,” he said referring to both TRS and BJP governments.
Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that KCR had entered into a secret pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and politicising the issue to escape from his responsibility. D. Sreedhar Babu and Seethakka, MLAs, T. Jeevan Reddy, MLC, senior leaders Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Damodar Rajnarsimha, Hanmantha Rao, Sampath Kumar. G. Chinna Reddy, Mallu Ravi, Anvesh Reddy, H. Venugopal and Balaram Naik were among present.
