Congress Demand to Stop Cash Transfers Anti-farmer: BRS

Hyderabad: BRS leaders and workers will hold protest demonstrations against the Congress for what the ruling party in Telangana state said Congress’ letter to the Election Commission of India “asking that the Telangana government stop” disbursal of Rythu Bandhu funds to farmers in the state in view of the coming Assembly elections.

“Expose the anti-farmer policies and stand of the Congress by holding protests in every constituency, mandal headquarters, and every village and burn Congress effigies as part of these protests,” the BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao told his party leaders and workers during a teleconference on Thursday.

“The Congress complained to the ECI seeking stoppage of Rythu Bandhu funds disbursal despite it being an ongoing programme as part of which 11 times funds were paid to farmers as investment assistance. Will the Congress also ask for stopping 24-hour power supply, and drinking water to homes it sees KCR everywhere and wants to claim that everything the BRS government has been doing violates Model Code of Conduct?” Rama Rao said.

The Congress must not be allowed to get away with this, Rama Rao told his party leaders and workers.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, minister and BRS leader T. Harish Rao said the Congress action was deplorable and reflected its antipathy towards Telangana’s farmers. “The Congress has understood that our 69 lakh farmers who are receiving Rythu Bandhu will not vote for it. Because of this, it wants to deny Rythu Bandhu to farmers and if that party comes to power, do not be surprised if it will do away with it entirely. Its leader N Uttam Kumar Reddy has already said Rythu Bandhu was a useless and a profligate scheme. This is their understanding of a programme which is now copied by many states and even the Centre which based its PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme on Rythu Bandhu, which is KCR’s brainchild,” he said.

“Even during the tough times of the Covid lockdown, KCR said Rythu Bandhu cannot stop. That is the commitment of the BRS and KCR towards Telangana farmers. At least now, the Congress should withdraw its letter to ECI and issue an immediate apology to farmers,” he said.