The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has hit back at Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal following his remarks on the rabi paddy procurement issue in Telangana in Rajya Sabha on Friday and likened it to the tone of ‘samaikyandhra’ (united Andhra Pradesh) leaders during the Telangana statehood movement.
Responding to Mr. Goyal’s remarks made during the Question Hour on Friday, Telangana Minister for Finance and Health T. Harish Rao said that the culture of threatening (‘dhamki’) belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not that of TRS. He sought to know from Mr. Goyal whether it was possible to produce quality seed in Punjab or Uttar Pradesh and paddy in Kashmir stating that Telangana meets a lion’s share of the country’s seed needs. It was based on the local weather conditions certain crops were raised in every year, he pointed out.
“It’s you (Mr. Goyal) who threatened and insulted Telangana farmers and people when a group of Ministers from Telangana called on you with a plea to procure rabi paddy by explaining that only parboiled rice could be produced in Telangana during the season. The Centre, however, is adamant that it would purchase only raw rice, producing which is not possible in rabi”, Mr. Harish Rao said in response to Mr. Goyal’s statement that Telangana Chief Minister was threatening the Centre.
Further, Mr. Harish Rao alleged that it was BJP leaders who were threatening repeatedly that TRS leaders would be sent to jail or Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate raids would be conducted on them, when they (TRS leaders) were trying to convince the Centre to address the farmers’ problem.
Speaking along with Chairman of Telangana Rashtra Rythu Bandhu Samithi (RBS) P. Rajeshwar Reddy, he said: “We will consume broken rice, if need be, as suggested by the Union Minister and bring down the BJP Government at the Centre by mobilising farmers and people across the country”. He suggested that Mr. Goyal impress upon the Prime Minister to get to WTO restrictions on export of foodgrains produced with subsidy by a government changed to help farmers.
On the BJP’s election promise of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, Mr. Harish Rao said instead of doubling the income the BJP Government at the Centre had doubled the investment for cultivation. He demanded that Mr. Goyal apologise to the farmers and people of Telangana and requested the Centre to procure rabi paddy in Telangana without any conditions.
