TRS to stage protests in all Assembly constituency headquarters on Nov 12

Continuing his onslaught against the BJP leadership for the second consecutive day, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced that the TRS would stage protests in all Assembly constituency headquarters in the State on November 12, demanding that the Centre procure entire paddy crop from farmers of Telangana State. He urged people of Telangana to confront the BJP leaders across the State and put up the demand to convince their leadership in the Union government to procure paddy.

In a strong retort to the statements made by BJP State president Bandi Sanjay on Monday, the Chief Minister asked the former to give straight forward answers to the questions posed by him rather than beating around the bush. “The BJP leaders must answer whether the Centre would purchase paddy or not. Until they reply to our question, we would continue to question them. Let the Centre come out in open and declare its policy, to allow farmers to decide,” he said. 

He challenged the BJP State leaders to prove their commitment towards farmers in the State and join the protests being organised by the TRS against the Centre’s double-standards. He stated that Bandi Sanjay had been bluffing the farmers of Telangana by encouraging them to cultivate paddy and giving them the false hope that the state BJP will ensure that the produce is procured.

Chandrashekhar Rao also demanded that the Centre completely withdraw the central cess levied on petroelum products and bring down the rising fuel prices. While the BJP government at the Centre has increased the cess on petroleum products for 16 times since 2014, the State government did not increase the VAT. “The slight rise in 2015, was due to rationalisation of different taxes and combining them. The BJP



leaders want to blame the States for the increased petroleum prices, though it is the Union government which is imposing cess to avoid sharing the revenue with the States,” he pointed out.

He slammed the BJP State leaders for branding him as an ‘anti-national’ and termed it as part of their standard strategy. He pointed out that the BJP leaders have found an anti-national in him only after he questioned them on their policies, but they had no problem with him when he supported the BJP for various bills and also during the President’s election. He wondered, if the BJP leaders would brand Meghalaya Governor Satyapal Malik and BJP MP Varun Gandhi as ‘anti-nationals’ for speaking against the new Farm Laws.

“The BJP is conducting malicious campaigns on social media by branding those who question the party or its policies as anti-national. If someone raises stronger voice, they are termed as urban naxals in order to threaten them. They are conducting raids misusing Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate. But they cannot intimidate me as I am not involved in any businesses or illegal practices,” Chandrashekhar Rao said, adding that the BJP State leaders were resorting to personal abuses as they have no subject knowledge to speak on issues.

The Chief Minister said that he would hold press conferences on a daily basis to expose the double-standards of the BJP. He ridiculed Bandi Sanjay for claiming that the Union government was funding the sheep distribution scheme and challenged that he was ready to resign, if Sanjay proves his claims. The Telangana State government took loans from the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) for the sheep distribution scheme and is paying the entire amount along with the interest.