BJP holds counter-protest in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, April 11 (IANS) BJP's Telangana unit on Monday staged a protest in Hyderabad as a counter to the ruling TRS party's sit-in in Delhi over paddy procurement issue.

BJP leaders demanded that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should procure paddy from state's farmers or should resign.

The saffron party leaders staged the protest at Indira Park in the city, demanding the state government to open procurement centres and buy paddy from farmers.

BJP state unit chief Bandi Sanjay alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao staged the protest in Delhi for political ends.

He said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government's protest was aimed at diverting people's attention from its failures.

Sanjay said the people of Telangana were not ready to believe KCR's 'fake protest'. He alleged that the chief minister was cheating farmers and blaming the Centre.

Demanding the Centre to procure the entire paddy during Rabi season, the state Cabinet led by KCR staged a protest in Delhi. TRS MPs, state legislators and other leaders participated in the protest.

KCR has set a 24-hour deadline for the Centre to spell out its stand on the state's demand.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy has slammed both the Central and state governments for their failure to procure paddy from farmers. He said instead of procuring paddy both BJP and TRS were playing politics.

Revanth Reddy on Monday wrote a letter to KCR with 10 questions. He wanted to know whether he wrote a letter to the Centre on October 4, 2021 stating that Telangana will not supply parboiled rice. He asked who gave him the power to write a letter, which has now become a noose around the neck of Telangana farmers.