Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao launched a sit-in protest in Delhi against the Centre's paddy procurement policy and gave a 24-hour deadline to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond to his demands. Rao said he would take the protest across the country if the central government refused to purchase rice from the farmers of Telangana.
"If Modi has the guts, let him arrest me... With folded hands, I tell the PM and [Union Food Minister] Piyush Goyal. Please buy our food grains. I give you 24 hours, after that, we will take our decision," the Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo said. TRS working president and chief minister's son K.T. Ram Rao and party MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and entire cabinet ministers sat on the dharna at the Telangana Bhawan in the national capital.
"...Don't play with the sentiments of farmers, they have power to topple the government. History says that all governments have fallen whenever farmers were put in hardship,” Rao said.
The Telangana government is alleging that the Centre has meted out “injustice” to the farmers of the state by not procuring paddy from them during the current rabi season.
Attacking the Centre for making contradictory statements on paddy procurement, the chief minister said while the central government asked the state government to shift from paddy in rabi season and when it was being done so, Union Minister Kishan Reddy and BJP State President Bandi Sanjay "instigated" farmers to grow paddy and promised to procure the entire quantity.
"Telangana demands their right. I would like to say to the PM to frame a new agriculture policy, and we will also contribute to that. If you do not do it, then you will be removed and the new government will make a new integrated agriculture policy," the chief minister said in apparent warning to the Centre of a fresh farmers agitation.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait also joined the protest and said there is a need for another round of agitation by farmers across the country.
"There is a need for another protest. This is not a political platform, Chief Minister KCR is a farmer and he is not asking for votes here. The Chief Minister who fights for farmers' issues, Samyukt Kisan Morcha will be with them,” Tikait said. He also thanked the Telangana government for its support during the agitation against the three controversial farm laws.
Rao, in his address, alleged that the BJP-ruled Central government was running a government of "conspiracy" and not a government for the people. Those who speak against it are sent notices from enforcement agencies like the CBI.
He also questioned the BJP leaders in Hyderabad for staging a protest on a day when TRS leaders are sitting on the dharna in the national capital over the paddy procurement.
With PTI inputs
