Even as Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been waging an all-out war against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government at the Centre over paddy procurement issue, the opposition in Telangana has been equally aggressive in its attack against KCR.
A series of suicides by farmers in the recent past due to non-procurement of paddy has put the KCR government in a tight spot, as the farmers are not bothered about the Centre but are of the view that the State government should come to their rescue.
The opposition parties – the Congress, the BJP and even YSR Telangana party have been attacking KCR for failing to stop the farmers’ suicides.
The suicide of a farmer Karanam Ravi Kumar at Bogudu Bhupathipur village in the Haveli Ghanpur mandal of Medak district on coming to know that the state government won’t purchase paddy has come as an opportunity for the opposition.
On Saturday, BJP legislator from Huzurabad Eatala Rajender and his colleague M Raghunandan Rao went to the village to call on the farmer’s family and made a scathing attack on the TRS government for neglecting the farmers.
“KCR will have to face the curse of the farmers. His government will collapse under the impact of their curse. Why is he not responding when so many farmers are committing suicides? He is cheating the farming community,” Rajender said.
At the same time, YSR Telangana Party leader Y S Sharmila also visited the village to call on the family and started an instant deeksha in protest against KCR’s indifferent attitude towards farmers. She was later arrested.
Sharmila alleged that KCR was responsible for the death of Ravi Kumar.
“Do we need this chief minister, who asks farmers not to raise paddy? He is not bothered about even calling on the bereaved family. He is a cheat,” she said.
She demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of a farmer who lost a large plot of land. The villagers also sat in support of Sharmila.