New Delhi: Stepping up protest against the Centre's paddy procurement policy, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday gave 24 hours deadline to the Modi-government to respond if it will buy paddy from the state. If the central government fails to respond, Rao threatened to take the protest across the country.
The dharna organised by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Delhi demanding ‘one nation-one foodgrain procurement policy’ began on Monday morning. This is the first public protest by the party in the national capital, since 2014.
Led by Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and TRS working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao, the dharna is attended by many bigwigs in the party. Several Telangana MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other elected representatives are taking part in the protest.
"Don't play with the sentiments of our farmers, they have power to topple the government. Farmers are not beggars, they have the right to seek minimum support price (MSP) for their produce," Rao said. Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait joined the protest in solidarity.
"With folded hands, I urge Modiji and (Piyush) Goyal ji to respond to the state's demand on paddy procurement within 24 hours. After that, we will take a call," Rao added.
TRS leaders allege that the Centre's paddy procurement policy is discriminatory towards Telangana farmers. “We demand a uniform procurement policy for paddy," they said.
The venue for the protest, Telangana Bhavan, has been set up for the massive protest in Delhi.
Speaking to the media, TRS MLC K Kavitha urged the Centre to procure the crop and demanded a common procurement policy for the country.
"Our farmers are not getting the right price. We request the Central government to procure paddy from our state. We demand a common procurement policy. Rakesh Tikait has earlier also talked to CM K Chandrashekar Rao over agricultural issues and he has come here to support us," Kavitha said.
Recently, the TRS workers had blocked four National Highways in Telangana to press their demand for a "uniform" procurement policy in the country. The party decided to protest in Delhi in their bid to raise the issue at the national level.
CM KCR has been camping in Delhi since April 3 and devising strategies to make the Delhi dharna on April 11 impactful, party sources said.
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