TRS trying to divert people's attention from its Huzurabad bypoll loss: Kishan Reddy

Meanwhile, state Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy alleged in a statement that Congress and BJP indulged in a false campaign over the CM announcing ex-gratia for families of farmers who died during agitation against the Centres farm laws.The two parties claimed that the TRS government did not bother about Telangana farmers, but it paid Rs 3,384.95 crore in the last three years under the Rythu Beema life insurance scheme for farmers, he said.

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday alleged that the ruling TRS in Telangana was trying to divert people's attention from its loss in the Huzurabad assembly constituency bypoll earlier this month by making an issue out of paddy procurement.

''The TRS suffered a massive defeat in the bye-election though it used money power and indulged in gross misuse of power,'' he alleged. BJP won the bypoll. ''...After suffering disappointment with the people's verdict, Chief Minister ji (K Chandrasekhar Rao) started a new drama to portray Huzurabad as an insignificant election and to divert people's attention. Is it only now that the Centre has begun to procure rice?,'' Reddy asked.

The TRS has claimed credit for paddy procurement since it came to power seven-and-half- years ago, but , after the Huzurabad election, the ruling party is saying that the Centre is refusing to buy paddy, he told reporters here.

The Centre has never said it would not procure paddy, except parboiled rice, he said. The state government has also agreed that it would not supply parboiled rice, he said.

The TRS is levelling false charges and indulged in a vicious campaign against the Centre to downplay the Huzurabad bypoll outcome and to divert people's attention, Reddy said.

Each grain of rice would be purchased as per the state government's agreement with the Centre over procurement, he said.

Rao talked about Bangladesh, Pakistan and others being ahead of India in certain development parametres, but he should address issues in Telangana like pending recruitment of teachers and dues to contractors in municipalities, he said.

On Rao announcing ex-gratia for farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the NDA government's three farm laws, Reddy said he does not find fault with it. However, the CM has the responsibility to help the families of those who had committed suicide for separate Telangana and the unemployed youth, he said.

Reddy's comments came against the backdrop of a war of words between the TRS and BJP over paddy procurement and a clash between the activists of the two parties during state BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar's visit to procurement centres last week. The CM, along with his cabinet colleagues and other TRS leaders, held a dharna here last week, demanding that the Centre specify the annual target for paddy procurement in a year from Telangana. The CM is currently on a visit to Delhi over the issue. Meanwhile, state Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy alleged in a statement that Congress and BJP indulged in a false campaign over the CM announcing ex-gratia for families of farmers who died during agitation against the Centre's farm laws.

The two parties claimed that the TRS government did not bother about Telangana farmers, but it paid Rs 3,384.95 crore in the last three years under the 'Rythu Beema' life insurance scheme for farmers, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)