Hyderabad, May 28 (RAHNUMA): Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu criticised the opposition parties for exploiting untimely rains for political purposes.
In a statement released on Thursday, Sridhar Babu alleged that the BJP, which has been in power at the Centre for the last 12 years without doubling farmers’ incomes, while increasing fertilizer prices and imposing “black laws” that severely harmed farmers, is now conducting political tours in Telangana under the slogan “Farmer’s Distress – BJP’s Assurance.”
He said this is not truly about “farmers’ distress,” but rather a “political outcry” by BJP leaders seeking power.
The Minister demanded that the BJP first answer why it has failed to fully implement the Swaminathan Committee recommendations and thereby done injustice to farmers.
Sridhar Babu questioned BJP leaders, asking whether they had forgotten the history of Union Ministers insulting Telangana farmers by saying they should “get used to eating broken rice” when requests were made to procure the paddy grown in Telangana. He mocked the BJP for shedding crocodile tears now after failing to stand by Telangana farmers in the past.
He advised that if the BJP genuinely cared about farmers, it should stop wasting time with political tours in Telangana and instead go to Delhi, pressure the Centre, and secure the rightful funds and entitlements due to Telangana farmers.
Sridhar Babu further stated that when natural calamities occur, the BRS, as a responsible opposition party, should stand by farmers and provide them confidence. Instead, he said, the party has chosen to spread false propaganda against the government merely for political survival, which he termed shameful.
He questioned how justified it was for the BRS to indulge in diversionary “poli-tricks” to mislead the public when the government was conducting procurement transparently and at record levels on the ground.
The Minister clarified that despite all the obstacles and conspiracies created by opposition parties, the government would continue to support farmers until the very last grain is procured. He appealed to farmers not to be misled or worried by the false propaganda spread by BJP and BRS leaders.
