Kishan Reddy holds fast against Congress govt 'not fulfilling' promises to farmers

Hyderabad: Union Minister and BJP Telangana chief G Kishan Reddy held a fast here on Monday demanding that the state's Congress government implement its poll promises to farmers, including giving them Rs 500 bonus on MSP and financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre per year.

Addressing the gathering at the state BJP headquarters here, he attacked the ruling Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly not implementing the promises.

The farmers should question Congress leaders who come to seek votes in the Lok Sabha elections, he said.

The previous BRS government followed anti-farmer policies and the farmers taught the party a lesson, he said.

The Congress had made a lot of promises before the legislative assembly elections held in November last year in its 'Farmers' Declaration' and in its manifesto, he said.

"Congress should say what is the change. Congress said before elections that there should be a change (in Telangana). One change happened for sure. KCR family (former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao) is gone and Soniamma's family (Sonia Gandhi) has come. There is no change in the loot. Same type of loot is going on. There is no change in corruption," Kishan Reddy alleged.

The Congress had promised Rs two lakh farm loan waiver and investment support of Rs 15,000, and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had, before the assembly elections, asked farmers to take loans and, now, banks are not giving fresh loans to them, he further alleged.

Top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and CM Revanth Reddy had promised to implement its guarantees in 100 days, he claimed.

Kishan Reddy said he challenges the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy to state their plan of action to implement the promises.

"Rahul Gandhi recently held a meeting at Tukkuguda (on Hyderabad outskirts). Before assembly elections, they held a meeting at the same ground and gave a lot of 'guarantees'. They left old guarantees and gave new guarantees for Parliament elections," he said.

"I am asking Rahul Gandhi. Why this forgetfulness? Same ground you gave guarantees four months ago. You promised change. Is forgetfulness the change?," he said.

He said Telangana farmers should question Congress leaders who come seeking votes about the Rs two lakh farm loan waiver, Rs 15,000 per year per acre, Rs 500 bonus on MSP, Rs 15,000 financial assistance to tenant farmers, financial help of Rs 12,000 to farm labourers and other poll promises.

Power cuts, shortage of power, fertilisers and restrictions on movement of paddy had been the order of the day in the country, Kishan Reddy said. But now electricity is available in abundance after the Modi government assumed office in 2014, he claimed.

Highlighting various pro-farmer initiatives of the BJP-led government, he said a subsidy of Rs 18,000 per acre per year is now given to farmers for fertilisers.

Promotion of production of vegetables and oil palm, natural farming and crop insurance are some of the initiatives of the BJP, he said.

Abolition of Article 370 and triple talaq, construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, women's reservation, massive expansion of national highways, checking terror activities are all the promises fulfilled by the BJP, he added.

The BJP leader mocked CM Revanth Reddy's call for Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister, saying Rahul Gandhi cannot become PM in his lifetime.

Inputs from PTI