Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Bandi Sanjay on Monday came down heavily on Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for trying to malign the BJP government at the Centre on paddy procurement issue.
Slamming KCR over his dharna in Delhi on the paddy procurement issue, Sanjay said that Rao has taken up the protest only to divert public attention from the hike announced by his government in power tariffs and RTC bus fares.
In a counter to the TRS government's Deeksha in the national capital, the BJP in Hyderabad held a massive Rythu Deeksha at the Indra Park.
The state BJP chief challenged the Telangana government to procure paddy from farmers and supply raw rice to the Centre, instead of enacting high dramas in the name of dharna in New Delhi for political gains.
"If you really want to come to the rescue of farmers, purchase the entire quantity of paddy produced in the state. Get it milled and supply raw rice to the Food Corporation of India. We are reiterating that the Centre is ready to purchase every grain of raw rice that you supply. Will you accept this challenge?" the BJP president asked.
Sanjay took strong exception to KCR addressing the BJP leaders as "dogs". "He seems to have lost his mental balance. In fact, the TRS leaders themselves are barking like dogs. The BJP activists are roaring like lions, not dogs. They dragged you from the cosy comforts of your farmhouse to Dharna Chowk and from there to New Delhi," he said.
On KCR's warning that he would pull down Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power, Sanjay said the TRS president was not capable of doing so.
"You are already finished KCR. The people of Telangana are getting ready to pull you down from power," he said.
The BJP president said KCR was not in a position to pay even salaries to the state government employees on time.
"The people were agitated with the increase in power tariffs and RTC bus fares. In order to divert the people's attention, he is playing these dramas in Delhi," he added.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a great leader who has extended all benefits to the farmers, Sanjay said, "Before PM Modi came to power, the MSP of paddy was only Rs 1310 and now, it has gone up to Rs 1,960 per quintal. The market price of cotton was only Rs 4,000 per quintal; it has not gone up to Rs 15,000. The chilli price has gone from Rs 6,000 per quintal to over Rs 50,000. The credit goes to PM Modi and not KCR."
Earlier, Telangana Chief Minister KCR issued a warning to the Centre over its paddy procurement policy and said that they would "go after the government" if crops are not "procured uniformly" in the next 24 hours.
( With inputs from ANI )
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