KCR offers PM Modi a 24-hour deadline on the paddy problem, saying, ‘Farmers can topple the government.’
I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Piyush Goyal to acquire crops in a standardized manner across the country, including in Telangana: Rao (PTI)
K Chandrashekar Rao, the Chief Minister of Telangana, warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday against ‘messing up with the farmers’! KCR challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Centre’s paddy procurement strategy, threatening to ‘go after the government’ if crops are not ‘procured uniformly’ within the next 24 hours.
Also Read | Problem of paddy procurement in Telangana taken a political turn.
The Telangana CM addressed a protest by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and others, saying, ‘I urge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Piyush Goyal purchase crops in a consistent manner across the country, especially in the state of Telangana. Please consider buying our food grains. We will wait for the following 24 hours before making a decision and proceeding to go after you.’
‘I’ll return to talk about the presidential elections as well as other issues. We’ll make a decision in the next couple of days, and then we’ll decide’ he continued.
Several Members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and many others are staging a sit-in, or Dharna, to protest the Centre’s policies over discrimination against Telangana farmers, especially the paddy growing farmers.
‘In this heat, we’ve travelled 2,000 kilometres from Telangana.’ You can’t mess with farmers, I warn PM Modi. Farmers’ cries have always resulted in the government losing power in India. Nobody lasts forever. ‘Don’t treat farmers unfairly when you’re in power,’ Rao cautioned.
KCR also slammed Piyush Goyal, claiming that the Union Minister reacted ‘harshly’ when the state Agriculture Minister met with him.
‘Goyal reacted angrily when our agriculture minister arrived in Delhi. Goyal instructed him to consume broken rice. Goyal is Piyush Golmaal, and I’m not sure what he understands.’ He stated.
In the protest against the Centre, Telangana Chief Minister KCR was joined by farmer leader Rakesh Singh Tikait the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). KCR welcomed his attendance and promised him his state’s support.
‘I want to reassure you, Rakesh Tikait, that the entire state of Telangana is behind you. The manner you demonstrated in Delhi was seen by everyone. You also got the Prime Minister to apologise to you,’ he stated.
Also Read | Telangana CM accused Center of increasing fertilizer prices, flawed in MSP.
The Chief Minister, attacking the BJP for its procurement policy, stated that if the government does not come up with a new agriculture strategy, the people will vote out the government.
‘Telangana is asserting its rights. I would urge the Prime Minister to develop a new agriculture policy, to which we will contribute. If you don’t, the public will vote you out and a new agriculture policy will be drafted,’ he said.
Add Comment